Most electronic voting systems can be hacked, CIA expert says

Now, just why is it that we're arguing about keeping our levers?

This is a story not to be missed! A CIA expert testifying before the US Election Assistance Commission...

The Raw Story | Most electronic voting systems can be hacked, CIA expert says: "'Computerized electoral systems can be manipulated at five stages, from altering voter registration lists to posting results,' a summary of his remarks said.

Moreover, Stigall said that the CIA believes Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may have fixed a recent recount in his favor using such tactics. Chavez, he said, controlled most of the voting machines used and may have provided the program that was used to 'randomly' select machines for audit during a recount.

The voting machines Venezuela used were made by Smartmatic, a company that partnered with Chavez's government which was owned by US-based Sequoia systems until 2007. Sequoia also provides voting machines for the District of Columbia and 16 US states."

I hope you'll click the link and read the whole story. It makes the notion of op-scanners and paper ballots seem pretty silly.

And, here's the link to the Election Assistance Commissions transcript.

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Shortchanging NJ Voters - NYTimes Editorial

Here's a link to the January 2, 2009 NYT editorial on the problems New Jersey has with Sequoia machines -- maybe they should consider lever machines.

An except:

Editorial - Shortchanging Voters - NYTimes.com: "New Jersey’s main problem is that for technical reasons it is virtually impossible to hook up a reliable printer to the Sequoia voting machines used in most of the state’s voting precincts. One assemblywoman has called the printer attachment a “Rube Goldberg” contraption that could cause more problems than it solves. A public interest lawsuit to prohibit further use of the Sequoia machines on grounds they are easily tampered with is scheduled for trial this month."

Isn't this a budget cut we could all get behind?