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The dumbest thing a voting-machine maker ever did
In the run-up to the election, DVICE has been investigating the technology behind voting machines, and some of the weaknesses and problems with it. But I'm sure many of you still feel that there are bound to be small isolated problems with a task as mammoth as this, and that most of the time the voting machine companies do a pretty good job.
In that case, consider what must be the No. 1 most boneheaded move in voting machine history.
Hacking a voting machine usually involves getting inside and swapping out a chip or two, so you would think they would make them really hard to open up. Sure enough, it you look at a Diebold (now called Premier Election Solutions) AccuVote-TS machine, there's a locked cover keeping everything secure. The only problem is that even election officials lose their keys occasionally, so Diebold sells new ones to "Diebold account holders" through their online store.
Now this is where it gets really dumb. Right there on the order page is a picture of the keys (since removed), showing exactly what they look like. Dumber still, it turns out that every AccuVote-TS machine uses the exact same key, and dumbest of all, it's essentially the same as many of the keys used for hotel mini bars and office file cabinets. A group studying voting machine security at Princeton University found that with three blank keys, a file, and a small vice, they could easily make two working keys by copying the key pattern from the Diebold website.
Via The Brad Blog
By MyVote at 9:47 PM ON 10/24/08
You guys probably played "what if" games as children. Maybe you still do. When would you use the key? I know Brad has never worked an election and I'll bet you haven't either. Election day is a thankless effort made more frustrating by this type of dribble.
By lol at 11:16 AM ON 10/25/08
I would have to assume that anyone trying to actually turn the votes of enough districts to make a difference would be breaking into polling places. I mean, it's not hard to get into a school :P But you're right; the dvice guys just like to complain. I mean, they've gotta have something to blame it on when, as always, democrats don't actually show up on election day because they're too busy sitting on their asses drinking welfare beer :D They like to have something to blame their suckiness on hehe. Kinda like Obama refused to go along w/ McCain in speaking against voter fraud b/c he wants to be able to call a recount if he loses, and to have something to blame it on.
It's really pathetic, actually. Just like 2004 - the dems were all in a froth about how Bush didn't have a chance, about how he was the worst president ever, and then he won by a popular landslide. Woops!
But seriously, voter fraud really doesn't matter too much. It's not like it can begin to compare to the enormous percentage of people who just vote based on who they have seen on television the most, who's the youngest, who's the best looking, and a dozen other asinine reasons. It's just another reason why the Republic was so much better an idea than this pathetic democracy the US has today (and which unfortunately half of the first world has emulated).
By fsdfs at 8:45 PM ON 10/25/08
If the machines they use for this election are anything like the ones for the last election you don't even need to get to each voting machine just one of the cards they bring to the central tabulator or central tabulator its self.
By sandossu at 10:16 PM ON 10/25/08
You know, that link is almost 2 years old.
By Eric Cox at 7:29 PM ON 10/26/08
These voting machines are sealed by the registrars after inspection/testing. These seals are usually the kind that break before you can get them open cleanly - they're designed that way. If any of the seals are broken when the machines come back in to the registrar, the votes from that machine are not used. Having a key doesn't help - you have to somehow remove the seals without breaking them, and then replace the seals cleanly after doing your tampering. Not an easy thing to do.
Hell, you could leave the damn things unlocked and it wouldn't matter - opening the door breaks the seal and taints the ballots collected from that machine.
By Jimbrandy at 7:30 PM ON 07/30/09
We don't know if those are actually the keys or the key pattern that fit the diebold machines. They might be just a stock picture. or a picture of keys that aren't up to date that fit current machines.
By Ian at 2:32 PM ON 07/31/09
In response to Eric, while you might not be able to change the votes per say but if you are able to break that seal by opening the door and voiding the votes you can still effect the outcome inn your favor. If you know that area will most likely vote one way you can void the seal and make a large number of votes that you don't agree with not count
By krflol at 5:53 PM ON 08/02/09
my question is why have you left the photo of the keys on your website?
By FU at 8:54 PM ON 08/02/09
FVCK AMERICANS, BUNCH OF AHOLES KILLING MILLION OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. FVCK YOUR DEMOCRACY!
By Slipper at 12:24 AM ON 08/03/09
for FU....geez, i am american but i gotta tell ya...FVCK is not a word because it has a V between F and C!. Try to write it again correctly by adding a u where the V was. I wish english, as a second language, would be your consideration for an academic course in your country so I can understand what it is you are trying to say.
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Slipper:
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