New Palm Beach Voting Machines

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGAIFTWBQ3D.html

for a story on the new "self auditing" voting machines.

"..... a Boca Raton man's claims that he lost a City Council election in March because the new machines malfunctioned.
Former Mayor Emil Danciu's suit seeks to have the results overturned and a new election held.

The suit includes affidavits from eight voters who said they had trouble casting ballots on the ATM-style machines and says voters should be given paper receipts to confirm their vote was recorded.
It also seeks to allow an independent review of the voting machines and related software and security features.

Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore says such a review would void the machines' warranty and that they've been reviewed twice by labs appointed by the federal government and also by a state worker.

She says most of the information the plaintiffs are seeking is filed with the state Division of Elections in Tallahassee and even if it were available, she couldn't provide it because it includes trade secrets of Sequoia Voting Systems Inc., which manufactures the machines.

"I'm not willing to let anyone take a machine and take it apart," LePore said. "I don't think the taxpayers would appreciate them taking apart a $3,500 machine and voiding the warranty."

...."

Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along. Don't question authority.

John Starrett

> voters should be given paper receipts to confirm their vote was
> recorded.

At the very very least.

> It also seeks to allow an independent review of the voting machines
> and related software and security features.

Well this much is obvious. Here is a place where open source
would definitely be called for.

> Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore says such a review would void
> the machines' warranty

Huh? I smell somethink rotten and fishy here...