Article

Computer expert: E-voting systems flawed

May 5, 2004

WASHINGTON (AP)--Electronic voting systems are highly vulnerable and flawed according to an article on CNN.com.

The article quotes Aviel D. Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University, who told the U.S. Election Assistance Commission that a backup paper system is the only short-term solution to avoid another disputed presidential election.

"On a spectrum of terrible to very good, we are sitting at terrible," said Rubin. "Not only have the vendors not implemented security safeguards that are possible, they have not even correctly implemented the ones that are easy."

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, created under the 2002 Help America Vote Act, held its first public hearing on Wednesday. The panel is charged with ensuring the voting process is sound, although it lacks the power to enforce any standards it sets.

The commission has said it is woefully underfunded, with only $1.2 million of its $10 million budget appropriated; prompting the commission to caution it might not have the resources to immediately forestall widespread voting problems.

In November, approximately 50 million Americans are expected to use electronic voting machines. But now that critics say the touchscreen machines can't be trusted some states are scrambling to create backup paper systems.

Critics claim that there were hundreds of disenfranchised voters when machines in more than half the precincts in San Diego County malfunctioned during the March 2 presidential primary and there were no paper ballots.

he four-member bipartisan panel is expected to recommend that poll workers to keep a stack of paper ballots available in case of electronic machines failures.

"We cannot afford to have a replay of 2000, when voting systems failed to properly record voters' intent ... and when millions of Americans questioned the outcome and legitimacy of the presidential election," said Kay Maxwell, president of the League of Women Voters, who was to testify Wednesday. "Specific security measures are needed."

There are supporters of the electronic machines; however, who claim that electronic voting offers advantages over paper balloting, including increasing access to the blind and people who do not speak English. They contended that backing up electronic systems with paper ballots could be costly.

"We want systems that are secure but also accessible to people with disabilities," said Stephen Berger, an expert at TEM Consulting, an engineering services consulting firm.