VOTER’S WATCHDOG: CIA WARNS E-VOTING NOT SECURE; PROOF EMERGES THAT CA'S DIEBOLD VOTING MACHINES DROP VOTES & AUDIT LOGS ALLOW DELETION OF VOTING RECORDS

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By Miriam Raftery

March
28, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)—In testimony before the U.S.
Election Assistance Commission in Florida, CIA cyber security expert Steven
Stigall said that voting equipment connected to the Internet could be hacked
and that even machines not connected could be hacked with wireless devices. Stigall
warned that foreign governments could potentially alter outcomes of U.S. elections,
noting that “wherever the vote becomes an electron and touches a computer,
that’s an opportunity for a malicious actor to…make bad things
happen.”

This testimony was delivered in February, but the
full transcript was not made public by the EAC until Voters Unite obtained
the document through a Freedom of Information Act Request.

This month, proof has emerged that Diebold voting machines dropped countless
numbers of votes in California—and the company was forced to admit that
all of their voting machines fail to record ballot deletions, Brad Friedman,
one of the nation’s most prominent reporters covering election integrity
issues, reported at Bradblog.com. Moreover, Diebold audit logs were also
found to allow deletion of records with what Friedman describes as a “magical
`clear’ button.”

The problem was found in Humbolt County, which has since terminated all contracts
with Diebold.
Diebold voting machines are used in San Diego elections. But to date,
San Diego’s Registrar of Voters has turned a blind eye to repeated evidence
suggesting the machines were insecure.

Also this month, Diebold Inc.’s chief financial officer has stepped down
amid a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into alleged violations
of federal securities laws. CFO Kevin Krakora sold a large amount of stock
at historically high rates—just before the company announced it was selling
off its election equipment division in 2007, a move that led to a rapid plummet
in stock prices which have not recovered. The company has also faced a
class-action securities fraud lawsuit and other legal woes.

So why do San Diego officials continue trusting your votes to Diebold?

If you wish to voice your concern to your representative on the County Board
of Supervisors, which oversees County election officials, you can find their
contact information in the “Sound
Off
” section of our website.


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