Maybe Democracy is Just a Good-Bye

New e-voting study shows it's really easy to steal an election:

"given the widespread, ongoing evidence of rampant insecurity in popular electronic voting systems (Google 'Diebold,' for instance) and the mystifying nationwide failure to do anything about it, will another voice shouting that the house is on fire be enough?

I have this fantasy where I organize a group of computer science types who've been working for years on electronic voting problems and we write a book called, How To Steal a National Election: An Step-by-Step Handbook. The book would come complete with everything from discussions of the theory underlying how you could steal a presidential election by rigging a few key counties, to a nuts-and-bolts, 'push this, pull here, type in this command' guide to how to rig specific machine models. We'd also include a CD with source code, applications, schematics, all the other tools the modern election fraudster needs. I feel that if there were some way to make clear just how real this threat is and just how easy it is to actually steal and election, maybe folks could get motivated to care. But maybe I'm just fantasizing."

I find that I am really frustrated with the state of the "debate" on this question. Why are people so friggin' stupid!?!!

Responsible individuals feel little or no obligation to take even the most obvious precautions or to feel guilty for egregious election tampering.

Here's a link to a press release on the Electronic Voting Task Force Report that triggered the little fantasy quoted above.