Sequoia Voting Systems scares NJ county off of auditing its machines -- so much for fair elections in Union County
Further to last night's post about Sequoia, the voting machine vendor that sent a legal threat to Ed Felten, the renowned Princeton prof who was tapped by the New Jersey's Union County to audit their Sequoia machines and make sure they're secure enough to use:
Union County has backed off a plan to let a Princeton University computer scientist examine voting machines where errors occurred in the presidential primary tallies, after the manufacturer of the machines threatened to sue, officials said today...LinkOn the advice of county's attorneys, however, Rajoppi said today she must forego all plans for independent analysis.
See also: Sequoia Voting Systems threatens Felten's Princeton security research team
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On the advice of county's attorneys, however, Rajoppi said today she must forego all plans for independent voting!!!.
All, right, fine. I really didn't want to have to do this, because it's not like I don't have a job and a life, but whatever.
I'll count the fucking votes. Just FedEx them, I'll have them back in a week.
I swear, Union County can't do a goddamn thing for itself. Had do to its geometry homework all through 10th grade, too.
I'm getting a distinct "we're screwed" feeling here.
Anyone else applying for passports?
I was checking out Sequoia's website and found a contact and email address for their VP of Communications & External Affairs. I plan on emailing Ms Shafer and letting her know my concerns and consternation about their choice. Perhaps if enough concerned citizens express their opinions to Sequoia they'll become a bit more enlightened.
Michelle Shafer
Vice President of Communication & External Affairs
mshafer@sequoiavote.com
Seriously, just send the voting machines to me if IWood doesn't get to them first. I'm no Ed Felten, but I'll poke around and see if I can Hax0r teh Franklin, or whatever pop culture name signifies the superlative voting machine.
It would be really, really nice if this story made it to TV and didn't live solely on the Internet.
(slightly OT)
Up next on BoingBoing: Steampunk Diebold voting machines!
#5 posted by techbear:
Thank you, techbear.
Huh. Apparently Sequoia has released a followup statement.
http://www.sequoiavote.com/blog.php?ID=34
Is conspiracy to commit electoral fraud in a national election treason? That would be the question that I'd put to Sequoia Techbear. I'd do this over the phone and have sounds of hammering in the background "What's that noise? Remodeling?" "Oh that's just the scaffold, we're almost done." Might focus their minds a little.
wow, that statement is pretty evil. Sequoia basically says the machines can only be tested by people Sequoia picks, and somehow, they try to paint this as good. I like as well the talk of an election industry. Selling your own votes back to you at the basement price of a country's integrity.
What's the point of voting in New Jersey?
#10 Noen
I think you're onto something. It seems as we "progress" as a society, the justice of our legal systems is only accessible and serves but the wealthiest minority. Maybe we don't put enough honest people in positions of power and authority, or maybe we're letting the mainstream media do our thinking for us. I am not sure, but history shows us that the path we are on always ends bad.
F them. Continue with the audit and let them sue. Discovery is a beeeeeotch...
Wouldn't this issue be best affected by finding a semi-intelligent politician to sponsor a bill that requires all voting machines to be independently tested by parties not chosen by the manufacturer?
This debate happens over and over and over again - each time a different city and a different state. Hitting it at the federal level could just stop it, once and for all.
McCain and Obama both have records suggesting they would sponsor something like this. With voter disenfranchisement a recurring issue in the news, it might be timely for people to start bringing this up as open questions at rallies and such.
Under these circumstances, why doesn't the county just proceed as though the machines failed the audit, because for all intents and purposes, they have.
You Americans have a really funny concept of "democracy". You'd think something that can be described as the lifeblood of the electoral system will only use the best, peer-reviewed, analyzed-to-death voting machines backed with a paper trail.
But then again, seeing that you only have two major parties anyway, why not just flip a coin and save everyone lots of money? You're gonna need it for the subprime meltdown anyway.
You can e-mail Rajoppi at: jrajoppi@ucnj.org
I wonder what they will say when this news story about the leaked election result will become common knowledge...
http://www.merlinsilk.com/2008/03/12/embarrassing-election-spoiler-from-diebold/
But then again, there will be plenty of people who don't really care and just go on with the daily business.
Oh well - guess it's true that a people always deserves its government.
Maybe people with standing should launch their own lawsuits. Even if they're technically groundless (and I don't know the law, so I have no idea. I certainly hope not), it might at least draw attention and get some news, or make them think twice about what they're doing.
Failing that, get word to Obama. He's like a superhero now, isn't he?