SECURITY ANALYSIS OF THE DIEBOLD ACCUVOTE-TS VOTING MACHINE Ariel J. Feldman, J. Alex Halderman, and Edward W. Felten, Princeton University DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT IN PDF FORMAT Abstract: This paper presents a fully independent security study of a Diebold AccuVote-TS voting machine, including its hardware and software. We obtained the machine from a private party. Analysis of the machine, in light of real election procedures, shows that it is vulnerable to extremely serious attacks. For example, an attacker who gets physical access to a machine or its removable memory card for as little as one minute could install malicious code; malicious code on a machine could steal votes undetectably, modifying all records, logs, and counters to be consistent with the fraudulent vote count it creates. [Read more...]

The presidential campaign of Barack Obama has issued a statement regarding reports of voter-registration irregularities in Louisiana that allegedly led to the denial of the vote to hundreds of people. The Obama campaign website published the following: "The Obama campaign submitted an urgent request for assistance to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections today, after receiving widespread reports from Democrats across Louisiana who reported that they were not allowed to vote because their party affiliation had been switched." [Full Story]

ELECTION IRREGULARITIES: WASHINGTON GOP PRIMARY CALLED WITH 242 VOTE MARGIN AT JUST 87% OF COUNT
11 January 2008

The presidential campaign of Mike Huckabee is "exploring all available legal options regarding the dubious final results for the state of Washington State Republican precinct caucuses". The state's Republican party halted the count at 87% of votes counted, a margin of just 242 votes separating John McCain from Mike Huckabee, and a reported 12,000 votes tallied to that point. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: NEW MEXICO FACES QUESTIONS OF PROCESS INTEGRITY IN DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

Reports from New Mexico are demonstrating a range of problems that faced voters during the Super Tuesday "nationwide primary" Democratic party caucuses there. The New Mexico caucus system is run by the party itself, and involves actual paper ballots, cast by each individual voting. But the list of voters eligible to participate is not maintained by the party itself or by the state, but instead by ES&S, an electronic voting-machine manufacturer. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: BALLOTING IRREGULARITIES REPORTED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, NEW JERSEY & GEORGIA
6 February 2008

As the most widespread presidential primary vote in US history took place yesterday, across the continent and beyond (American Samoa also voted), there were glitches, confusion and unjustifiable waits in states across the country. Three examples stand out: touchscreen machines failing in New Jersey, a suspiciously confusing ballot in Los Angeles, and multiple irregularities in Georgia, where long waits, questionable ID laws and more failing Diebold machines made voting a serious challenge by any rational standards. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: CLINTON, OBAMA DRAW EVEN, McCAIN TAKES COMMANDING LEAD IN GOP RACE
6 February 2008

The figures from the biggest day of primary voting in US history are coming in, and reveal a lot of interesting detail about the make-up of the campaigns. Sen. John McCain was the day's big winner, though he did not win enough delegates to seal the nomination. McCain, still struggling to convince many conservative Republicans, won 9 states on the day, including the big states of California, Illinois, Missouri, New York and New Jersey. [Full Story]

TOUCHSCREEN VOTING MACHINES PUT IN QUESTION INTEGRITY OF US ELECTION PROCESS
INCREASING NUMBERS OF GLITCHES, SECURITY VULNERABILITIES HAVE CAUSED STATES TO QUESTION WHETHER THE TECHNOLOGY IS RELIABLE
10 January 2008

Across the United States, problems are being discovered with what are supposed to be the state of the art in balloting technology: digital touchscreen voting machines. Security questions were raised initially when the machines were widely distributed, by a handful of companies, with no hard-copy record of voters' intent, which led to a nationwide movement calling for "verified voting", or voter-verified paper trails. [Full Story]

GROUP OF 17 PROPOSES 'STRUCTURES & WORKING GROUPS' TO ACHIEVE BIPARTISANSHIP IN DC
PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS 'INDEPENDENT THINKERS' CONCERNS ABOUT INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ACCOUNTABILITY
7 January 2007

While speculation is widespread that the purpose of the Oklahoma meetings, involving 17 former and current politicians and public servants, is to announce the candidacy of New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, for the presidency, the groups says it only wants to lay out a series of principles of bipartisanship in government, which they hope presidential candidates will adopt. The mass media rumor mill is suggesting the group will propose Bloomberg as an independent candidate for the presidency, with fmr. Democratic senator Sam Nunn as his running mate. [Full Story]

IOWA CAUCUSES COMPLICATE, ELUCIDATE MEASURE OF VOTER SUPPORT
UNIQUE SYSTEM BRINGS MUCH DIRECT CANDIDATE-VOTER INTERACTION, DESPITE INDIRECT MEASURE OF VOTER PREFERENCE
3 January 2008

Often treated by mass media reporting as an "idiosyncratic" or "archaic" process, the Iowa caucuses are voters' first opportunity to weigh the value of the spectrum of candidates running for the office of the presidency. A caucus is not a vote, as such, but rather a discussion that ends with voters standing in the corner —quite literally— of the candidate they support. [Full Story]

CALIFORNIA ELECTORAL COLLEGE PLAN MAY UNDERMINE NATIONAL ELECTION INTEGRITY
CRITICS SAY PLAN DESIGNED TO GIVE GOP UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN NATIONAL VOTE
30 August 2007

The Electoral College is a procedural peculiarity enshrined in the Constitution, initially intended to protect the voting power of slave-holding states, which puts the very concept of majority rule in question. A California plan to "reform" the system would grant electoral college votes to the Republican party even if it doesn't win the state, which would rob the Democrats of votes they would not gain in any state controlled by Republicans. [Full Story]

VOTER FRAUD & JUSTICE FIRINGS PROBES REVEAL DISAPPEARING PRESSURE GROUP, THE ACVR
TIES BETWEEN USUBSTANTIATED VOTER-FRAUD ALLEGATIONS, 'THOR' HEARNE, ACVR, FEC & GOP SUGGEST CAMPAIGN TO SWAY 2004 ELECTION
23 August 2007

The American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR) was supposed to be a non-partisan NGO pushing for government action to combat what it alleged was a widespread problem with ballot fraud across the United States. When investigations revealed it was founded and operated by Republican campaign operatives, and that its allegations were largely fabricated, the organization literally disappeared from public view. And now it is increasingly difficult to find documents it published or links to information about its founders online. [Full Story]

ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES FLAWED ACCORDING TO UC STUDY
STUDY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTION AS TO WHETHER ANY E-VOTING PLATFORM CAN BE SECURE
6 August 2007

A California government-sponsored study has "found that virtually all voting machines used in the state are vulnerable to hackers", creating a whirlwind of complaints from activists and defiance from manufacturers. Secretary of State Debra Bowen, along with voting rights activists have said the problem needs to be solved before next year's presidential primary elections. [Full Story]

SEN. BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCES BID TO WIN DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008
ESTIMATED CROWD OF BETWEEN 15,000 & 20,000 ATTEND TO HEAR HILLARY CLINTON'S LEADING CHALLENGER FOR FRONTRUNNER
10 February 2007

US Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has announced his plans to run for president in the 2008 elections. He will face a tough field of heavyweight contenders, led by the star-power and financial backing of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), just to win the nomination of his party. The historic announcement, seen by many as the first African-American candidate with nationwide electability, brought thousands of citizens together to hear and witness the event. [Full Story]

DEMOCRATS TO TAKE CONTROL OF CONGRESS FOR FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL CONTROL BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE, AFTER WINNING NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
4 January 2007

The Democratic party will take control of both houses of the US Congress today, as the president's party struggles to adjust to the idea of losing control of the legislative process. The November elections gave the Democrats a majority in both the House and the Senate, and they are already planning aggressive moves on key legislation for the first few days. [Full Story]

VIRGINIA GIVES DEMOCRATS CONTROL OF THE SENATE
ALLEN'S CONCESSION MEANS DEMOCRATS WILL CONTROL BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS
11 November 2006

The concession of Sen. George Allen (R-VA) to challenger Jim Webb gives the Democrats 51 seats in the Senate chamber, guaranteeing an outright majority, and control of both houses of Congress. The concession appears to seal the results of the midterm elections as a rejection of the methods and ideas of the party that has held power throughout the Bush presidency, and could significantly weaken his position as top executive. [Full Story]

DEMOCRATS WIN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REPUBLICANS SUFFER HEAVY LOSSES AT POLLS
EARLY COUNTS SHOW SENATE 'IN PLAY', DEMOCRATS MAY CONTROL MAJORITY OF GOVERNORSHIPS
8 November 2006

Among the early news emerging from the 2006 midterm elections: Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy win by wide margins; embattled Republican senator Rick Santorum is ousted by Bob Casey, Jr., by margin of nearly 59% to 41%; Rep. Weldon loses seat in PA, largely due to corruption scandal; Democrats take control of House of Representatives. [Full Story]

MANUAL FOR MARYLAND REPUBLICANS APPEARS TO OUTLINE PLAN TO BLOCK VOTES
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTY 'POLL WATCHERS' INCLUDE ADVICE ON SINGLING OUT VOTERS AS ILLEGAL, THREAT TO JAIL OFFICIALS WHO DON'T FOLLOW ORDER TO BLOCK VOTE
4 November 2006

The Republican Party of Maryland has distributed an instruction booklet for party volunteers it plans to station at polling places which instructs them in how to prevent voters casting ballots. The document outlines the need to ensure that the law is followed and that no voter is denied their legal right to cast a vote, but includes language urging volunteers to tell judges they may face jail time if they do not do as asked by the Republican party voter challengers. [Full Story]

UNKNOWN UPSTART, WAR CRITIC LAMONT OUSTS 3-TERM SENATOR
CONNECTICUT DEM. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN LOST HIS PARTY'S, LIKELY DUE TO HIS SUPPORT FOR PRES. BUSH'S WAR POLICY
10 August 2006

One of the nation's top Democrats, 3-term senator Joseph Lieberman, candidate for vice president in 2000 and primary candidate for president in 2004, has lost his first statewide election in a quarter century. Upstart Ned Lamont gained momentum from activist groups who helped project his anti-war message to voters throughout the state. [Full Story]

PAPERLESS TOUCHSCREEN IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM PARADIGM
26 June 2006

As noted by a Sentido reader, paperless touchscreen balloting machines are not the only machine-based voting technique vulnerable to tampering. Punch-card readers can be calibrated to miss, exaggerate or misread marked votes. And optical-scan paper ballots can record figures not accurately representing the markings on ballots. [Full Story]

SECURITY OF U.S. ELECTIONS, VOTING RIGHTS NOT GUARANTEED
DESPITE FEDERAL LEGISLATION & SIX YEARS OF REFORM, MAJOR SECURITY FLAWS PERSIST WHICH COMPROMISE ELECTION INTEGRITY
25 June 2006

The 2000 election process gave clear evidence that the established system for running elections and counting votes in the United States is not cohesive, not fool-proof and not secure against tampering. Congress took action to reform voting standards nationwide to "Help America Vote". But that legislation suffered one fatal flaw: while promoting the shift to touchscreen ballots, it did not require that electronic balloting machines produce a paper record that could be hand-checked. [Full Story]

TWENTY-SIX STATES HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION REQUIRING PAPER TRAILS FOR ELECTRONIC BALLOTS
11 June 2006

Since the 2000 election, voting technology has become a major issue in US elections regimens and regulations; touchscreen balloting machines, which legislatures seem to have favored as a way to record votes accurately, eliminating the 'hanging chad' problem, were designed with no paper record and have proven insecure and susceptible to tampering. Now, 26 US states have passed laws requiring paper trails, and 13 more, plus Washington, DC, have proposed laws "not yet enacted". [Full Story]

SAN DIEGO COUNTY SENT VOTING MACHINES HOME WITH POLL WORKERS ON EVE OF ELECTION
9 June 2006

Reports have emerged that according to the San Diego registrar of voters, poll workers in San Diego county took tamper-susceptible Diebold voting machines home on the eve of the election. In some cases, poll workers may have had unsupervised access to the machines for a week or longer. [Full Story]

THE ILLUSION OF THE DEFINITE & INVASIVE 'OTHER'
SEVEN LIES THAT INFORM THE PUSH FOR AN ENGLISH-ONLY UNITED STATES
25 May 2006

The identity of groups, or for that matter of individuals is not implacable, nor is it absolutely relative. It follows the vicissitudes of the human health and mind, and requires sincere dialogue with the other in order to reach its fullest potential. The push to establish a single national language can only be sustained on the basis of a number of false premises, all of which work against the interests of both a democratic society and American tradition itself. [Full Story]

BUSH PRESENTA CINCO PUNTOS A FAVOR DE LA REFORMA MIGRATORIA
BUSCA DE CAMINO CENTRISTA NO CALMA RENCOR ENTRE REFORMISTAS Y ULTRA-CONSERVADORES
16 mayo 2006

Anoche, George W. Bush presentó desde su despacho en la Casa Blanca, un plan de cinco puntos claves para una "reforma comprensiva" de la política migratoria de Estados Unidos. El plan incluye despachar 6 mil soldados de la Guardia Nacional a la frontera con México y un carnet biométrico para los inmigrantes, pero también moderó su retórica, recordando que "todo ser humano tiene valor y dignidad, a pesar del estatus de sus papeles de ciudadanía." [Texto completo]

EL GRAN BOICOTEO POR LOS DERECHOS MIGRATORIOS
EL MOVIMIENTO A FAVOR DEL DERECHO A LA REGULARIZACIÓN DE LOS INMIGRANTES NO DOCUMENTADOS INSTA UN BOICOT GENERAL
1 mayo 2006

Hace 230 años, los colonos revolucionarios de la costa atlántica de Norteamérica exigieron a la corona británica que no hubiera "ningún impuesto sin representación" en el parlamento de Londres. El movimiento a favor de una política migratoria más humana, sensata y democrática, evoca esa ideología: la persona tiene derecho a una representación en una economía que incluye su mano de obra. [Texto completo]

CITIZEN GOVERNMENT: HAVE YOUR SAY BEFORE CONGRESS VOTES
MOVEMENT SEEKS TO FORCE CONGRESS TO PUBLISH ALL LEGISLATION BEFORE IT'S CALLED FOR FLOOR VOTE
2 March 2006

In an effort to prevent "earmarking", whereby language is added to a bill with the specific purpose of directing specific funds to a given project or district, Readthebill.org is calling for the US House to pass a resolution that would require that all legislation be available in full online, in its final form, for at least 72 hours before Congress votes on its passage. [Full Story]

NEW AP REPORT SAYS POLITICAL APPOINTEES OVERRULED JUSTICE DEPT. ADVICE IN 3 MAJOR CASES
11 December 2005

A new AP report says political appointees at the Justice Department have overruled, without explanation, extensively researched advice from career staff at least three times... Two of the cases involved election laws which Justice lawyers believed would abridge the rights of minorities and the third involved a radical reduction in the penalties sought against tobacco companies. [Full Story]

TEXAS REDISTRICTING FOUND ILLEGAL BY JUSTICE LAWYERS, FINDINGS OVERRULED
2 December 2005

New documents show Justice Department lawyers unanimously found the Texas Congressional redistricting plan to be illegal. But that finding was overruled by top Justice officials and the staff involved in the research and analysis "were subjected to an unusual gag rule", this according to the Washington Post. [Full Story]

A VAST LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY, SAYS DeLAY
3 October 2005

Under indictment for conspiracy in an alleged scheme to raise illegal campaign cash and conceal it through manipulation of his Political Action Committee, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), stepped aside earlier this week as House Majority Leader. Congressional rules require that he leave his post while facing indictment. He has been reprimanded by Congress three times already for "objectionable behavior". Dissatisfied Republicans are looking for new leadership. [Full Story]

FREEMAN DEFENDS STUDY OF EXIT POLLING DISCREPANCIES
5 February 2005

Steven F. Freeman, who published findings shortly after the November election which indicated statistical aberrations in the relation between historically reliable exit polling and at least 10 states' official ballot counts, has defended his findings of a probability of 250 million to one that the result which occurred would occur in those 10 states simultaneously. [Full Story]