Tech | October 18, 2008 | 21 comments

NJ voting machines easily hacked

source: http://cbs3.com/local/new.jersey.elections.2.842765.html

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Conniepae
"The electronic voting machines used in 18 of New Jersey's 21 counties can be hacked into in as little as seven minutes and manipulated to alter votes or fix elections, a new report by a Princeton University professor shows.

The report, by Andrew Appel of the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton, was released Friday following a hearing in an ongoing lawsuit to void the machines as unreliable.

"The AVC Advantage is too insecure to use in New Jersey," Appel concluded of the machine he tested over the summer. "New Jersey should not use any version of the AVC Advantage that it has not actually examined with the assistance of skilled computer-security experts."

Appel, a computer expert, tested New Jersey's most often-used touch-screen voting machine over the summer after questions arose about the accuracy of vote totals on some machines used in the Feb. 5 presidential primary.

His tests involved two machines that were used that day, including one that malfunctioned, said Penny Venetis, a law professor at Rutgers School of Law-Newark and co-director of its constitutional litigation clinic. Venetis represents the Coalition for Peace Action and others who have sued to force New Jersey to scrap its 10,000 electronic voting machines and return to paper balloting.

"We want these machines to be decommissioned. Enough is enough," Venetis said.

"The landmark is that for the first time a 100 percent independent review of the technology took place," said Irene Goldman, chairwoman of the coalition and one of the plaintiffs. "Everybody should be very happy there is a report that tells the truth about these machines."

With a trial date set for January, millions of New Jerseyans will vote on those machines in the Nov. 4 presidential election. Venetis said at least 20 states have banned touch-screen voting machines similar to those used throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey has tried for at least three years to address critics concerns by retrofitting the machines with printers that provide paper receipts. Voters could check their choices against what the machine recorded.

However, the state has missed several deadlines for retrofitting the machines because of technological glitches.

The case got a boost Friday, when Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg authorized the release of Appel's critical report.

Appel said the machines, manufactured by California-based Sequoia Voting Systems, contain design flaws that could allow votes to go uncounted and cartridges that can be manipulated to change votes.

Sequoia disputes the findings.

"Throughout our report response, we show how simple, established, and previously used accuracy and security protections ... make the items in their report next to impossible," company spokesman Edwin Smith said. "Many of the scenarios painted by plaintiffs depend on the existence of crooked, malicious, and corrupt poll workers, while the success of some scenarios depends on both corrupt poll workers and inattentive voters."

The New Jersey Secretary of State's office, which oversees elections, did not respond Friday to a request for comment."
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21 comments // NJ voting machines easily hacked

  • picKFishStudios
  • spicoli
    • 0
      spicoli  

    • The following is a HBO documentary about the whole subject that everyone needs to watch. It's part one of nine but it's imperative that people watch it in its entirety. The situation is much worse than you might think and shows how our very democracy is at risk and the whole foundation of America itself is in peril. Please watch "Hacking Democracy" here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVlZTWH7u8w

    • 3 years ago
  • Commentor
  • metalcookiesxy70
  • PoliticalGeek
  • WhiteNoise
    • 0
      WhiteNoise  
    • Image

    • IF THIS IS NOT A CONSPIRACY, WTF IS ?

      LYNCHING BY LAPTOP 2
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCR6IdTQTeE

      NOT A WORD FROM BIG MEDIA ABOUT DIEBOLD, THE GOP & ROVE BOTS FOR 8 YEARS, THEN SUDDENLY THEY GO APE SHIT ON ACORN !!!

      SOMETHING HAS GONE ARRAY FOR SURE !

      "The Democrats think Republicans are stealing elections. The Republicans think Democrats are stealing elections. And those of us independent of the two old parties know they are both right." - Kevin Zeese

      "Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates." - Gore Vidal
      "Elections are held to delude the populace into believing that they are participating in government." - Gerald F. Lieberman

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Like we haven't known this since 2000? Why do you think that election went the way it did? To give them ( and that includes Democrats as well as Republicans who pushed for these machines and who have said nothing in regard to their flaws) the reason to corporatize our elections by making people think it was warranted because of hanging chads... and we were led once again. I have written to the Secretary of State of NJ more than once over the last few years demanding paper ballots to no avail. They will not listen because of once again... PROFITS.

      However, I am going to vote on Nov. 4th, though not for the moneyed candidates who say absolutely nothing about this. I will once again go into the polling station and ask for a paper ballot to be told the machine is my only means of voicing my vote. I will be told the same thing that I have been told every year since 2000.

      So what this report will accomplish is really nothing unless someone is held responsible and they are finally decommissioned. I also truly do hope these stories just posted to implicate Republicans do not then wind up shooting Obama supporters in the foot when people stay home then thinking their vote won't count. Perhaps when we actually see people being led in handcuffs to court to account for this alleged "hacking" there will then be some level of credibility to all of this. Meanwhile, it will not change unless once again, we are vocal in demanding it change.

    • 3 years ago
  • Mikeysfake1
  • PoliticalGeek
    • 0
      PoliticalGeek  

    • Please vote vote vote! The more votes there are, the harder it will be to steal.

      And write to your governors, congress members and administration to address this issue once and for all.

    • 3 years ago
  • huntre
    • 0
      huntre  

    • It's time to overhaul US voting procedures and, as a US citizen, I've demanded it by contacting state and national level leaders. No matter who wins this election, I want that person to make this a top priority the first 100 days in office.
      Enough.

    • 3 years ago
  • saltygirl
    • 0
      saltygirl  
    • huntre:

      Here, Here!
      Ensuring that votes are counted and that we have a physical record (not a printout from a machine that tells us how folks voted ) of every vote cast is essential to having a true democracy.

    • 3 years ago
  • Releaser31
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • gem7007
  • current89
    • 0
      current89  

    • Also I should add that I know people who have worked at the county level for the board of elections, and they are very competent people.

    • 3 years ago
  • WhiteNoise
    • 0
      WhiteNoise  
    • Image

    • REALITY CHECK

      20 Amazing Facts About Voting In The United States
      http://www.guerrillafunk.com/thoughts/doc000023.html
      TOP FIVE

      1. 80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.

      2. There is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the US voting machine industry.

      3. The vice-president of Diebold and the president of ES&S are brothers.

      4. The chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

      5. 35% of ES&S is owned by Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who became Senator based on votes counted by ES&S machines.

      “It’s enough that people know there has been a vote. Those who vote decide of nothing. Those who count the votes, decides of everything” - Joseph Stalin

      JUST A HINT : BEFORE YOU EXPORT DEMOCRACY, TRY HAVING IT AT HOME !

      ROLLING STONE: It's Already Stolen
      http://www.gregpalast.com/rolling-stone-its-already-sto...

      STEAL BACK YOUR VOTE !
      http://www.stealbackyourvote.org/

      ROCK THE VOTE
      http://www.rockthevote.com/

      " Of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of plutocracy " : John Pierpont Morgan

    • 3 years ago
  • bamboodizzard
    • 0
      bamboodizzard  

    • I am sorry, where is the story here? This is another dime a dozen, "Voting machines are easily hacked" story. Call me when something is done about it.

    • 3 years ago
  • current89
  • Betico
    • 0
      Betico  

    • so obama will win the state 51 49 as opposed to 63 37...seriously though, why arent these people that do this treated like those people in guantanamo bay and then executed for treason?

    • 3 years ago
  • spicoli
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