Artifact Six

Mitchell, Robert L. "The e-voting blame game.(flaws in electronic voting machines)(Column)." Computerworld 40.43 (Oct 23, 2006): 38(1). Student Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. Centennial High School (MD). 23 Jan. 2007
&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A154335487&source=gale&srcprod=SRCG&userGroupName=elli29753&version=1.0>.

This document was strange because it took a different view point on the subject they said that they didn't feel as if this was normal individuals that were out trying to sabotage an election as much as is it was the people in charge of running the elections trying to sway the election. I wouldn't say that this is completely out of the question because on November 2nd I was helping campaign at a local school and the election official came out and smoked a cigarette and talked to us about our candidates view points.

This article much more recent then the other articles written in 2006 says "While some of the problems associated with e-voting are technology-based, many simply amount to a lack of best practices. For example, e-voting machines initially didn't generate paper records, so Diebold now includes a thermal printer. The printed summary, viewable through a window, reassures the voter and provides a paper-based alternative that officials can use to verify the electronic tabulations. But the Election Science Institute, in reviewing a Maryland election, worried that paper jams or printer malfunctions could cause "profound" problems. The advocacy group suggested extensive training of poll workers."

This of course would cost the states more money which would possibly could amount to many cutbacks for explain maybe the would have to lower the amount of polling places available to the voters to use or perhaps they wouldn't be able to afford to upgrade the systems. This article also states "Training is clearly necessary. Some officials don't even have the most basic procedures down. During a recent Maryland election, officials in one county failed to deliver to the polls the access cards voters needed to operate e-voting machines. In another county, officials couldn't operate e-voting machines because they didn't have their passwords..."

A ground breaking thing that I read in this article was the sometimes days before elections voting systems are distributed to election officials homes several days before the elections for what the author called a "sleepover". This opportunity to be around the systems for a long period of time could allow almost anyone to tamper with the system.