SECURITY ANALYSIS OF THE DIEBOLD ACCUVOTE-TS VOTING MACHINE Ariel J. Feldman, J. Alex Halderman, and Edward W. Felten, Princeton University DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT IN PDF FORMAT Abstract: This paper presents a fully independent security study of a Diebold AccuVote-TS voting machine, including its hardware and software. We obtained the machine from a private party. Analysis of the machine, in light of real election procedures, shows that it is vulnerable to extremely serious attacks. For example, an attacker who gets physical access to a machine or its removable memory card for as little as one minute could install malicious code; malicious code on a machine could steal votes undetectably, modifying all records, logs, and counters to be consistent with the fraudulent vote count it creates. [Read more...]

The presidential campaign of Barack Obama has issued a statement regarding reports of voter-registration irregularities in Louisiana that allegedly led to the denial of the vote to hundreds of people. The Obama campaign website published the following: "The Obama campaign submitted an urgent request for assistance to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections today, after receiving widespread reports from Democrats across Louisiana who reported that they were not allowed to vote because their party affiliation had been switched." [Full Story]

ELECTION IRREGULARITIES: WASHINGTON GOP PRIMARY CALLED WITH 242 VOTE MARGIN AT JUST 87% OF COUNT
11 January 2008

The presidential campaign of Mike Huckabee is "exploring all available legal options regarding the dubious final results for the state of Washington State Republican precinct caucuses". The state's Republican party halted the count at 87% of votes counted, a margin of just 242 votes separating John McCain from Mike Huckabee, and a reported 12,000 votes tallied to that point. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: NEW MEXICO FACES QUESTIONS OF PROCESS INTEGRITY IN DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS
6 February 2008

Reports from New Mexico are demonstrating a range of problems that faced voters during the Super Tuesday "nationwide primary" Democratic party caucuses there. The New Mexico caucus system is run by the party itself, and involves actual paper ballots, cast by each individual voting. But the list of voters eligible to participate is not maintained by the party itself or by the state, but instead by ES&S, an electronic voting-machine manufacturer. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: BALLOTING IRREGULARITIES REPORTED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, NEW JERSEY & GEORGIA
6 February 2008

As the most widespread presidential primary vote in US history took place yesterday, across the continent and beyond (American Samoa also voted), there were glitches, confusion and unjustifiable waits in states across the country. Three examples stand out: touchscreen machines failing in New Jersey, a suspiciously confusing ballot in Los Angeles, and multiple irregularities in Georgia, where long waits, questionable ID laws and more failing Diebold machines made voting a serious challenge by any rational standards. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: CLINTON, OBAMA DRAW EVEN, McCAIN TAKES COMMANDING LEAD IN GOP RACE
6 February 2008

The figures from the biggest day of primary voting in US history are coming in, and reveal a lot of interesting detail about the make-up of the campaigns. Sen. John McCain was the day's big winner, though he did not win enough delegates to seal the nomination. McCain, still struggling to convince many conservative Republicans, won 9 states on the day, including the big states of California, Illinois, Missouri, New York and New Jersey. [Full Story]

SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES: AS 24 STATES GO TO POLLS, CLINTON IN DEAD HEAT WITH OBAMA, McCAIN LEADS GOP
5 February 2008

The biggest prize in the Super Tuesday 24-state primary vote today will be California, with more than 36 million inhabitants, the most populous state in the nation. Observers expect Clinton and Obama to nearly split the delegates available, which amount to more than 50% of the total. The Republican contest could be close to being decided, if frontrunner McCain achieves a "sweep", as some expect, with more than 40% of delegates in play, and a winner-take-all rule in some GOP contests. [Full Story]

TOUCHSCREEN VOTING MACHINES PUT IN QUESTION INTEGRITY OF US ELECTION PROCESS
INCREASING NUMBERS OF GLITCHES, SECURITY VULNERABILITIES HAVE CAUSED STATES TO QUESTION WHETHER THE TECHNOLOGY IS RELIABLE
10 January 2008

Across the United States, problems are being discovered with what are supposed to be the state of the art in balloting technology: digital touchscreen voting machines. Security questions were raised initially when the machines were widely distributed, by a handful of companies, with no hard-copy record of voters' intent, which led to a nationwide movement calling for "verified voting", or voter-verified paper trails. [Full Story]

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY: CLINTON, McCAIN DECLARED WINNERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE; OBAMA, ROMNEY FINISH 2ND
8 January 2008

Sen. Hillary Clinton declared winner by some news organizations in NH, with 39% of vote while less than 70% of precincts were reporting, CNN waited until Obama campaign said he would speak ahead of Clinton, called NH for Clinton while she led Obama 39% to 36%, with 80% reporting. McCain declared winner early, with significant margin of victory over Romney, lead of 8 percentage points with under 40% of votes tallied; McCain's lead had shrunk to 39% to 32% with 85% of precincts reporting, as midnight neared. [Full Story]

GROUP OF 17 PROPOSES 'STRUCTURES & WORKING GROUPS' TO ACHIEVE BIPARTISANSHIP IN DC
PRESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS 'INDEPENDENT THINKERS' CONCERNS ABOUT INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ACCOUNTABILITY
7 January 2008

While speculation is widespread that the purpose of the Oklahoma meetings, involving 17 former and current politicians and public servants, is to announce the candidacy of New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, for the presidency, the groups says it only wants to lay out a series of principles of bipartisanship in government, which they hope presidential candidates will adopt. The mass media rumor mill is suggesting the group will propose Bloomberg as an independent candidate for the presidency, with fmr. Democratic senator Sam Nunn as his running mate. [Full Story]

IOWA CAUCUSES: OBAMA, HUCKABEE WIN IN IOWA, BOTH PARTIES LOOKING AT CALL FOR CHANGE, RENEWAL
3 January 2008

Barack Obama takes 38% of Democratic caucus-goers, John Edwards in 2nd at 30%, Hillary Clinton in 3rd at 29%, while Mike Huckabee won the Republican caucuses with 34%, Mitt Romney in 2nd at 25%; Fred Thompson and John McCain were separated at one point by fewer than 40 votes in contest for GOP 3rd place, and veteran senators Chris Dodd and Joe Biden announced they would withdraw from the Democratic primary race after finishing last among candidates contesting Iowa; Rudolph Giuliani —once considered national frontrunner among Republican candidates— finished next to last among 7 Republican candidates, but said he will continue on to New Hampshire, still hoping to win. [Full Story]

IOWA CAUCUSES COMPLICATE, ELUCIDATE MEASURE OF VOTER SUPPORT
UNIQUE SYSTEM BRINGS MUCH DIRECT CANDIDATE-VOTER INTERACTION, DESPITE INDIRECT MEASURE OF VOTER PREFERENCE
3 January 2008

Often treated by mass media reporting as an "idiosyncratic" or "archaic" process, the Iowa caucuses are voters' first opportunity to weigh the value of the spectrum of candidates running for the office of the presidency. A caucus is not a vote, as such, but rather a discussion that ends with voters standing in the corner —quite literally— of the candidate they support. [Full Story]

CALIFORNIA ELECTORAL COLLEGE PLAN MAY UNDERMINE NATIONAL ELECTION INTEGRITY
CRITICS SAY PLAN DESIGNED TO GIVE GOP UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN NATIONAL VOTE
30 August 2007

The Electoral College is a procedural peculiarity enshrined in the Constitution, initially intended to protect the voting power of slave-holding states, which puts the very concept of majority rule in question. A California plan to "reform" the system would grant electoral college votes to the Republican party even if it doesn't win the state, which would rob the Democrats of votes they would not gain in any state controlled by Republicans. [Full Story]

ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES FLAWED ACCORDING TO UC STUDY
STUDY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTION AS TO WHETHER ANY E-VOTING PLATFORM CAN BE SECURE
6 August 2007

A California government-sponsored study has "found that virtually all voting machines used in the state are vulnerable to hackers", creating a whirlwind of complaints from activists and defiance from manufacturers. Secretary of State Debra Bowen, along with voting rights activists have said the problem needs to be solved before next year's presidential primary elections. [Full Story]

ETHICS REFORM LEGISLATION PASSES, BILL GOES TO WHITE HOUSE FOR SIGNING
SENATE PASSES BILL WITH 83-14 VOTE, AFTER HOUSE VOTED 411-8 FOR PASSAGE
5 August 2007

The House and Senate have both passed the conference-committee-resolved legislation to tighten constraints on donations from lobbyists and raise ethics standards in Congress. White House has criticized the legislation, though it is expected Pres. Bush will sign the bill into law. As reported by the LA Times "The measure grew out of a pledge by Democrats to 'drain the swamp' after they won majorities in both congressional chambers in last fall's elections. It passed the Senate, 83-14, after clearing the House, 411-8, earlier this week." [Full Story]

DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE GIVES PRES. BUSH POWER TO EAVESDROP WITHOUT WARRANTS
PASSAGE OF BILL TO GRANT 'TEMPORARY' AUTHORITY TO SPY ON AMERICANS SEEN AS DEFEAT FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES ADVOCATES, CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
5 August 2007

The Democrat-controlled US Senate yesterday passed a bill that would authorize the president to not only continue, but to expand his use of extrajudicial wiretapping, a practice ruled unconstitutional last year by the Supreme Court. Analysts suggest that Democrats caved to White House rhetoric, for fear of being considered 'soft on terror'. Civil libertarians say the vote is a dark day for US Constitutional law. [Full Story]

HOWARD ATTACK SIGN OF RADICAL SHIFT AWAY FROM DEMOCRATIC VALUES
INT'L PRESS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORATE MUST CONSIDER SERIOUSLY WHETHER PM IS COMMITTED TO OPEN GOV'T, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS
12 February 2007

Australia's prime minister John Howard, has launched a rhetorical attack against US presidential candidate and US senator Barack Obama (D-IL). Howard took the unusual step of attacking not only an individual candidate for a foreign head of state, but also suggested that if a Democrat wins, it would be a victory for terrorists. The comment is controversial enough because Obama is not the first US politician to propose a phased withdrawal of troops, but also because it appears to reveal allegiance to a specific party in a foreign state. [Full Story]

SEN. BARACK OBAMA ANNOUNCES BID TO WIN DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008
ESTIMATED CROWD OF BETWEEN 15,000 & 20,000 ATTEND TO HEAR HILLARY CLINTON'S LEADING CHALLENGER FOR FRONTRUNNER
10 February 2007

US Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has announced his plans to run for president in the 2008 elections. He will face a tough field of heavyweight contenders, led by the star-power and financial backing of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), just to win the nomination of his party. The historic announcement, seen by many as the first African-American candidate with nationwide electability, brought thousands of citizens together to hear and witness the event. [Full Story]

DEMOCRATS TO TAKE CONTROL OF CONGRESS FOR FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL CONTROL BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE, AFTER WINNING NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
4 January 2007

The Democratic party will take control of both houses of the US Congress today, as the president's party struggles to adjust to the idea of losing control of the legislative process. The November elections gave the Democrats a majority in both the House and the Senate, and they are already planning aggressive moves on key legislation for the first few days. [Full Story]

VIRGINIA GIVES DEMOCRATS CONTROL OF THE SENATE
ALLEN'S CONCESSION MEANS DEMOCRATS WILL CONTROL BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS
11 November 2006

The concession of Sen. George Allen (R-VA) to challenger Jim Webb gives the Democrats 51 seats in the Senate chamber, guaranteeing an outright majority, and control of both houses of Congress. The concession appears to seal the results of the midterm elections as a rejection of the methods and ideas of the party that has held power throughout the Bush presidency, and could significantly weaken his position as top executive. [Full Story]

DEMOCRATS WIN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REPUBLICANS SUFFER HEAVY LOSSES AT POLLS
EARLY COUNTS SHOW SENATE 'IN PLAY', DEMOCRATS MAY CONTROL MAJORITY OF GOVERNORSHIPS
8 November 2006

Among the early news emerging from the 2006 midterm elections: Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy win by wide margins; embattled Republican senator Rick Santorum is ousted by Bob Casey, Jr., by margin of nearly 59% to 41%; Rep. Weldon loses seat in PA, largely due to corruption scandal; Democrats take control of House of Representatives. [Full Story]

THE ILLUSION OF THE DEFINITE & INVASIVE 'OTHER'
SEVEN LIES THAT INFORM THE PUSH FOR AN ENGLISH-ONLY UNITED STATES
25 May 2006

The identity of groups, or for that matter of individuals is not implacable, nor is it absolutely relative. It follows the vicissitudes of the human health and mind, and requires sincere dialogue with the other in order to reach its fullest potential. The push to establish a single national language can only be sustained on the basis of a number of false premises, all of which work against the interests of both a democratic society and American tradition itself. [Full Story]

BUSH PRESENTA CINCO PUNTOS A FAVOR DE LA REFORMA MIGRATORIA
BUSCA DE CAMINO CENTRISTA NO CALMA RENCOR ENTRE REFORMISTAS Y ULTRA-CONSERVADORES
16 mayo 2006

Anoche, George W. Bush presentó desde su despacho en la Casa Blanca, un plan de cinco puntos claves para una "reforma comprensiva" de la política migratoria de Estados Unidos. El plan incluye despachar 6 mil soldados de la Guardia Nacional a la frontera con México y un carnet biométrico para los inmigrantes, pero también moderó su retórica, recordando que "todo ser humano tiene valor y dignidad, a pesar del estatus de sus papeles de ciudadanía." [Texto completo]

EL GRAN BOICOTEO POR LOS DERECHOS MIGRATORIOS
EL MOVIMIENTO A FAVOR DEL DERECHO A LA REGULARIZACIÓN DE LOS INMIGRANTES NO DOCUMENTADOS INSTA UN BOICOT GENERAL
1 mayo 2006

Hace 230 años, los colonos revolucionarios de la costa atlántica de Norteamérica exigieron a la corona británica que no hubiera "ningún impuesto sin representación" en el parlamento de Londres. El movimiento a favor de una política migratoria más humana, sensata y democrática, evoca esa ideología: la persona tiene derecho a una representación en una economía que incluye su mano de obra. [Texto completo]

CITIZEN GOVERNMENT: HAVE YOUR SAY BEFORE CONGRESS VOTES
MOVEMENT SEEKS TO FORCE CONGRESS TO PUBLISH ALL LEGISLATION BEFORE IT'S CALLED FOR FLOOR VOTE
2 March 2006

In an effort to prevent "earmarking", whereby language is added to a bill with the specific purpose of directing specific funds to a given project or district, Readthebill.org is calling for the US House to pass a resolution that would require that all legislation be available in full online, in its final form, for at least 72 hours before Congress votes on its passage. [Full Story]