<nettime> Is this possible?

[spornitz {AT} mts.net]

http://truthout.org/docs_03/voting.shtml


Even if this isn't true, it "illuminates" the sick sick thing happening
around us...


-b


quote:

How To Rig An Election In The United States 

So how would such a system actually work? 

Well one way to run such a corrupt electoral system might look like this: 

Each voting precinct (or booth) could be fitted with electronic voting
systems, optical scanning systems, punch card voting systems or the more
modern touchscreen electronic voting machines; 


At the close of play each day the booth/precinct supervisor could be under
instructions to compile an electronic record of the votes cast in their
booth; 


They might print out a report that contains only the details of the total
votes count for that precinct/booth, and then file via modem the full
electronic record of votes through to the County supervisor; 


The County Supervisor could be equipped with a special piece of software
and a bank of modems that enables all these results to be received and
tabulated in the internals of the computer; 


The County Supervisors themselves could be assured that their system was
bullet proof, certified and contained tamper-protection mechanisms par
excellence; 


The Country Supervisor could be given a range of tools for looking at the
data within this software, but nothing to enable them to directly
manipulate the results; 


But unbeknownst to the County Supervisor the software could actually create
three separate records of the voting data; 


Meanwhile - also unbeknownst to the County Supervisor - these three tables
of voting data could be in fact completely insecure and accessible simply
through a common database programme, say Microsoft Access; 


Having the three tables would enable you to keep the real data in place –
so the system could pass spot tests on individual precincts and booth
results (should a precinct supervisor be particularly astute) -while
simultaneously enabling you to manipulate the bottom line result; 


Finally you might also enhance the election hacker's powers by including
within the software a utility to enable them to cover their tracks by
changing the date and time stamps on files and remove evidence of your
tampering. 

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