Getting slightly back on Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
I obviously have no idea what has been proposed for the US elections. However, at the last ACT (Australian Capital Territory) election in 2001, a trial of electronic voting was held, and was generally considered to be a success. More information, including a technical description of how it works, is at http://www.elections.act.gov.au/Elecvote.html It even includes a link to the source code, although I have not had a look at that. Seems to be a slightly different approach to that used in Palm Beach. The executive summary is quite a good (non-technical) overview. Note that the ACT is a geographically small area, which means that physically transporting equipment from polling places to the tally room is feasible - at least for a trial (there are some comments in the executive summary about the logistics of expanding electronic voting). Still not a Cisco-focused thread, but at least it's back on technology ;-) JMcL Priscilla Oppenheimer wrote: > > Yes, indeed, VOTE. But, shall we take odds on the number of > problems that will occur? :-) Many states are using new > computerized systems. If these actually work in most cases, it > will be a huge triumph for Information Technology. Back in 2000 > I tried to get a discussion going about what an awful job IT > did in letting states linger with 1970s punch-card technology. > There were some general lessons to be learned there about the > need to get rid of legacy technologies, etc.. But people > thought I wanted to start a political discussion and refused to > have a "best practices" discussion. I was bummed. ;-) But > that's OK. It wasn't really Cisco-focused. > > But what do we know about these new computerized touch-screen > systems? I heard that they were paperless. So is the data going > to be transmited to a server somewhere? Are the devices > connected via wireless or wired? Is there a Cisco switch? A > router? How does the data get to the state authorities? How was > the new system tested? What are the security issues, not to > mention the reliability issues? Does it scare anyone else that > we don't know anything about these systems? Shouldn't something > about them be published? Did they go through a code reivew by > experts in programming and security? > > Accoring to this article, Theresa LePore, the Queen of Chad, > Supervisor of Elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, signed > an agreement with Sequoia Voting Systems, the makers of > Florida's new system, to protect their "trade secrets," which > effectively prohibits any party contesting an election from > examining the machine or its programming. Scary. > > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0805-07.htm > > Then again, maybe everything will go smoothly. If it does, it's > a great credit to the programmers and network administrators > who made it work and troubleshooted problems that happened in > real-time. > > ___ > > Priscilla Oppenheimer > www.troubleshootingnetworks.com > www.priscilla.com > > The Long and Winding Road wrote: > > > > For those United States residents, Tuesday is election day. No > > politics > > here. No flames here. You have a right and a privilege that is > > rare in > > today's world. Please take the appropriate amount of time to > > get to your > > polling place and exercise the right that many have fought and > > died for. > > Your vote DOES count. > > > > -- > > > > www.chuckslongroad.info > > > > > > Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56875&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Getting slightly back on Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
Jenny McLeod wrote: > > I obviously have no idea what has been proposed for the US > elections. However, at the last ACT (Australian Capital > Territory) election in 2001, a trial of electronic voting was > held, and was generally considered to be a success. More > information, including a technical description of how it works, > is at http://www.elections.act.gov.au/Elecvote.html Cool. Thanks. > > It even includes a link to the source code, although I have not > had a look at that. Seems to be a slightly different approach > to that used in Palm Beach. The executive summary is quite a > good (non-technical) overview. > > Note that the ACT is a geographically small area, which means > that physically transporting equipment from polling places to > the tally room is feasible - at least for a trial (there are > some comments in the executive summary about the logistics of > expanding electronic voting). Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I bet they do physically transport the touch-screen computers. Never underestimate the Mbps of a truck barrelling down the highway with data! One more quick (last, I promise) comment: I heard that they are having high-school kids helping at the Florida elections, i.e. helping the senior citizens figure out the touch screens. That's kind of cool. What will it be when we're old geezers that we won't get? There will probably be some technology that the young people all get that we will be clueless about. I won't like that. ;-) Priscilla > > Still not a Cisco-focused thread, but at least it's back on > technology ;-) > > JMcL > > Priscilla Oppenheimer wrote: > > > > Yes, indeed, VOTE. But, shall we take odds on the number of > > problems that will occur? :-) Many states are using new > > computerized systems. If these actually work in most cases, it > > will be a huge triumph for Information Technology. Back in > 2000 > > I tried to get a discussion going about what an awful job IT > > did in letting states linger with 1970s punch-card technology. > > There were some general lessons to be learned there about the > > need to get rid of legacy technologies, etc.. But people > > thought I wanted to start a political discussion and refused > to > > have a "best practices" discussion. I was bummed. ;-) But > > that's OK. It wasn't really Cisco-focused. > > > > But what do we know about these new computerized touch-screen > > systems? I heard that they were paperless. So is the data > going > > to be transmited to a server somewhere? Are the devices > > connected via wireless or wired? Is there a Cisco switch? A > > router? How does the data get to the state authorities? How > was > > the new system tested? What are the security issues, not to > > mention the reliability issues? Does it scare anyone else that > > we don't know anything about these systems? Shouldn't > something > > about them be published? Did they go through a code reivew by > > experts in programming and security? > > > > Accoring to this article, Theresa LePore, the Queen of Chad, > > Supervisor of Elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, signed > > an agreement with Sequoia Voting Systems, the makers of > > Florida's new system, to protect their "trade secrets," which > > effectively prohibits any party contesting an election from > > examining the machine or its programming. Scary. > > > > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0805-07.htm > > > > Then again, maybe everything will go smoothly. If it does, > it's > > a great credit to the programmers and network administrators > > who made it work and troubleshooted problems that happened in > > real-time. > > > > ___ > > > > Priscilla Oppenheimer > > www.troubleshootingnetworks.com > > www.priscilla.com > > > > The Long and Winding Road wrote: > > > > > > For those United States residents, Tuesday is election day. > No > > > politics > > > here. No flames here. You have a right and a privilege that > is > > > rare in > > > today's world. Please take the appropriate amount of time to > > > get to your > > > polling place and exercise the right that many have fought > and > > > died for. > > > Your vote DOES count. > > > > > > -- > > > > > > www.chuckslongroad.info > > > > > > > > > > > > Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56930&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Getting slightly back on Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
Priscilla Oppenheimer wrote: > > What will it be when we're old geezers that we won't get? There will > probably be some technology that the young people all get that we will be > clueless about. I won't like that. ;-) > Wot? do you mean you can you work the video? rgds Marc TXK Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56946&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Getting slightly back on Topic - VOTE [7:56758]
Priscilla Oppenheimer wrote: > > Jenny McLeod wrote: > > > > I obviously have no idea what has been proposed for the US > > elections. However, at the last ACT (Australian Capital > > Territory) election in 2001, a trial of electronic voting was > > held, and was generally considered to be a success. More > > information, including a technical description of how it > works, > > is at http://www.elections.act.gov.au/Elecvote.html > > Cool. Thanks. > > > > > It even includes a link to the source code, although I have > not > > had a look at that. Seems to be a slightly different approach > > to that used in Palm Beach. The executive summary is quite a > > good (non-technical) overview. > > > > Note that the ACT is a geographically small area, which means > > that physically transporting equipment from polling places to > > the tally room is feasible - at least for a trial (there are > > some comments in the executive summary about the logistics of > > expanding electronic voting). > > Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I bet they do physically > transport the touch-screen computers. Never underestimate the > Mbps of a truck barrelling down the highway with data! > JMcL: Even easier - they use "removable media" to transport the data, according to the overview. And not touch-screens, but a display and keypad (and barcode reader). No point overdoing the technology when it's not required ;-) > One more quick (last, I promise) comment: I heard that they are > having high-school kids helping at the Florida elections, i.e. > helping the senior citizens figure out the touch screens. > That's kind of cool. > JMcL: Given the over-enthusiasm of many teenagers I know, this may not be a good thing. "Just click here, and here, and look! You've voted! Oh, isn't that who you wanted to vote for?" > What will it be when we're old geezers that we won't get? There > will probably be some technology that the young people all get > that we will be clueless about. I won't like that. ;-) > > Priscilla > > > > > Still not a Cisco-focused thread, but at least it's back on > > technology ;-) > > > > JMcL > > > > Priscilla Oppenheimer wrote: > > > [snipped] Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=56948&t=56758 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
