E-Voting Report: Several States Still Vulnerable

ACM TechNews flagged an article in PCWorld about the inadequate assurance of the accuracy of electronic-voting machines, as per a report from three voting security advocacy groups. The report, released by Common Cause, Verified Voting, and the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, predicts that some voting systems will fail on election day.

Pamela Smith, president of Verified Voting said that state protections against voting fraud and e-voting machine failure have improved greatly since the last U.S. presidential election in 2004. Still, several states refuse to take basic precautions to protect the integrity of voting systems, she added.

"There are some folks who still don't get it," said Smith.

Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia all received failing grades in three of four voting security areas. Of the 24 states using direct-recording electronic machines, only California, Indiana, and Ohio received satisfactory grades in all four categories.

David Beirne, executive director of the Election Technology Council, a trade group representing e-voting machine vendors, says the report came too late for changes to be made this year.

For details, see PCWorld.