Posts with keyword: voting

14 entries

Fix Identity First

Mon Mar 16 07:55:00 2026

The SAVE Act attempts to strengthen election integrity by imposing documentary proof requirements, but in doing so it highlights a deeper problem: the United States lacks a universal, purpose-built identity system. Relying on legacy credentials like birth certificates and driver's licenses creates administrative burdens and risks disenfranchising eligible voters. If stronger identity assurance is truly needed for voting, the real solution is to invest in federated, universal, and accessible identity infrastructure first.
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Is Voting Secure?

Mon Oct 28 09:42:00 2024

I'm fairly certain that what I write here won't change the minds that need changing. But I feel like I need to make a statement anyway: your vote is secure.
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Verifying Constituency: A Sovrin Use Case

Mon Feb 13 12:00:00 2017

Verified constituency is a simple, but powerful means of creating a collective voice that is difficult to ignore or dismiss.
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The Dangers of Internet Voting

Mon Aug 25 13:55:00 2014

I am serving on Lt. Governor Cox's iVote panel, which is looking at whether Internet voting might be used in Utah. I presented the following statement to the panel this morning:
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Early Voting in Utah

Tue Oct 14 08:44:00 2008

If you're interested in avoiding the lines at your polling place, consider early voting. Most states have provisions for early voting. Utah has information about early voting online, although sadly the actual list of locations is a PDF document. Early voting in Utah happens between October 21st and 31st. Most of the locations have limited hours, so be sure to check that. You'll need to bring a picture ID (whereas you don't for voting at your normal polling place). I was a little disappointed in Utah's online voting information. When you go to the "Leave Your Print" site, there's
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Twitter Vote Report: Spread the Word

Tue Oct 14 08:02:00 2008

Britt Blaser sent me a link to Twitter Vote Report, a system for sharing stories and issue about voting across the country. Using it is simple, simply tweet with the hashtag #votereport and give: The time of day (9:20 am, 1:12 pm) The zip code you just voted in (e.g. 10591, 10012) The issue: Wait (e.g. a waiting time of over ½ hour) Reg. (e.g. a problem with your registration) Machine (e.g. voting machines are broken or jamming) I love this idea. Simple applications of technology for making our democracy work better. Twitter vote support still needs some help
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Colorado Abandoning Electronic Voting

Wed Jan 16 10:01:00 2008

Colorado will decide to abandon electronic voting in the upcoming election. I believe that ten years hence no state will support electronic voting--specifically, I think that direct-record voting machines (DRE) will be gone. The opportunities for undetectable fraud (even with reasonably large audits) in small elections are too large and cannot be solved by applying technology.
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NIST Report Condemns DRE Voting Machines

Fri Dec 1 10:51:00 2006

In what may be the biggest blow for electronic voting machines yet, NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued a draft report this week that concluded that paperless direct-record equipment (DRE) voting machines cannot be made secure and recommends optical scan systems (Washington Post story). The report will be debated next week in a meeting of the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC). This is the committee that makes recommendations to the Federal Election Assistance Commission. Next week's meeting will be webcast. The report (PDF) stresses the need for "software independence." From the report A voting system is
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Voting Machine Troubles in Utah County

Tue Nov 7 10:15:00 2006

Voters in Utah County are having trouble voting this morning. The problem seems to be poll workers not knowing how to bring the machines up and make them work. Robert Nelson was among those in Provo and other locations in Utah County who were unable to cast their votes using the new voting machines when the polls opened. After arriving at his polling location at 7 a.m., Nelson said he spent an hour and a half hoping the machines would be fixed. "The workers were earnestly trying to get the machines to work, but not a one in our
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Scary Voting

Tue Oct 10 14:14:00 2006

I just put an article up at Between the Lines on why electronic voting is scary.
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Scary Voting Videos

Fri Sep 15 14:39:00 2006

Diebold AccuVote-TS voting in Princetons Voting Studies Lab Ariel J. Feldman, J. Alex Halderman, and Edward W. Felten have completed a security study using an Actual Diebold AccuVote-TS voting machine. The study will no doubt provide some good information for people, but what's really eye-catching is the video they prepared showing how you can install software in under a minute that not only steal votes, but is also viral so that it spreads from machine to machine as workers update software. These kinds of results make one wonder how any elections official can remain sanguine about the security of elections
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Hacking Diebold

Wed Sep 6 07:51:00 2006

Nick Barker sent me a link to a web page that shows (in about the most annoying way possible) how a Diebold electronic voting machine can be hack in 4 minutes with $12 worth of tools. I didn't look over the last Diebold machine I was in close proximity to in enough detail to remember whether it used this method of securing the memory card or not. Anyone else remember? And while we're on the subject of electronic voting, Diane Rehm is interviewing Avi Rubin about his new book Brave New Ballot today. Avi does a great job of
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eVoting Security Holes

Fri May 12 10:40:00 2006

I put a piece about Black Box Voting's report up at Between the Lines. The report found significant security problems. The investigation is a result of Bruce Funk's courageous action in letting independent security experts look at his Diebold machines. Should we panic? No. But we ought not to dismiss this security concern out of hand either as Diebold seems to hope we will. More states should subject more voting machines to independent tests by real computer security experts. If there's nothing to hide, then this should be a relatively painless thing to do. The fact that Diebold and
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Using the Law to Stop Electronic Voting

Wed Mar 22 13:42:00 2006

A group called Vote Action is suing California to stop the use of touch screen voting systems citing security and integrity concerns. The suit, put together by the voting rights group Voter Action, asks a San Francisco Superior Court to nullify February's conditional certification of Diebold Election System's AccuVote-TSx electronic voting system and ban the purchase or use of the system for the November statewide election. "We can't have trustworthy elections with Diebold's voting machines,'' said Lowell Finley, co-director of Voter Action who is an attorney in the case. "They are insecure and easily hacked." The suit also names
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