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BBV Admin
Moderator
Username: Bbv
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2006
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 17 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 1, 2006 - 8:43 am: | 
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Black Box Voting projects in Leon County, Florida on May 26, 2005 and Dec. 13, 2005 demonstrated that by altering the information on the memory card, the election can be hacked without a trace.
San Diego, June 6 2006: Sent these voting machines home with poll workers for sleepovers. They said the seal on the memory card bay made it secure.
King County, Washington Aug. 29 2006: Says they are using the door and plastic tab seal as shown in these pictures, and they are sending the voting machines home with poll workers for the September primary election. They say the seal makes it secure. |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 5585
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 8 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 7:33 pm: |
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(Home page: Click "more" at bottom of this article for photo display; note - this software can be a bit buggy with lots of photos uploaded. If link appears broken, try right-clicking image and select "show picture" -- if that doesn't work, the links below the photo will work.)
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-put-in.jpg
The memory card is the item in the slot that says "this side up." Diebold's first line of defense is a metal door that pivots down over the memory card slot. The photos that follow will show you how moronic the system is.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-door-in-out.jpg
How the door works: The hole in the right side of the door is over-large, so you can move the right-side bolt in and out at will. Therefore, they seal the right-side bolt. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-door-hole-in-bolt.jpg
See the hole in the top of the right-side bolt? The plastic seal is threaded through that. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-sealed.jpg
This plastic seal was used by King County. It had been broken and discarded, so we used the high-tech method of putting an orange rubber band on it to hold it together for this demo. The seal is pointless anyway, as you'll soon see.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-screws.jpg
See the screws holding the Diebold AccuVote optical scan machine together? There are five. Natalie tried a Phillips-head screwdriver on the thing. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-unscrew-case.jpg
Yep. The screws come right out! What's inside? See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-unfasten.jpg
Hey, maybe you can unscrew the left-side bolt. Natalie stuck a small Allen wrench into the bolt. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-door-inside-nut.jpg
See that nut on the screw? (Red arrow) Natalie got out a pair of pliers. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-remove-memorycard-door.jpg
High-tech security, Diebold-style. (Grasp nut with pliers, twirl Allen wrench and see what happens.) See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-seal-cracked.jpg
The bolt comes right off. But can you get the memory card out? See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-opened.jpg
Pivot metal door to the right and remove memory card. See next picture.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/accuvote-memory-card-out.jpg
We then put it all back together without leaving a trace. Cost for materials: $12. Time: 4 minutes to open, remove card, re-insert card and re-seal everything.
San Diego, June 6 2006: Sent these voting machines home with poll workers for sleepovers. They said the seal on the memory card bay made it secure.
King County, Washington this week, Aug. 29 2006: Says they are using the door and plastic tab seal as shown in these pictures, and they are sending the voting machines home with poll workers for the September primary election. They say the seal makes it secure.
Black Box Voting projects in Leon County, Florida on May 26, 2005 and Dec. 13, 2005 demonstrated that by altering the information on the memory card, the election can be hacked without a trace.
This Tool Kit is a Declaration of Independence for Citizens:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/toolkit.pdf
- It's time for you to recognize your own power.
- You don't need us.
- You don't have to find someone to follow.
- Pick any module. Pick a single action in it. See it to its completion.
- You've just opened the door to an unexpected evolution.
"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -– Declaration of Independence
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Brant Lamb
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Brantl
Post Number: 850
Registered: 01-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 1, 2006 - 4:26 am: |
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Here's the slogan to go with this (do it as a video, put it on YouTube): Allen wrench, pliers, screw driver and memory card? $XX.XX ($XX.XX is whatever it costs) Ability to change an election? Priceless. MoveOn might pay for this to be a commercial..... |
Jim March
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jimmarch
Post Number: 48
Registered: 05-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 1, 2006 - 4:51 am: |
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If it's not clear yet, this is exactly how the TSx is built - pull some phillips screws, physical security concerning memory cards (literally electronic ballot boxes) evaporates.
Oddly enough the TS (early model touchscreen) is a bit more protected than the opscan discussed here or the later TSx touchscreen. Not much more, but there is a difference: in the TS, one of the 13 screws that pop the backplate off is inside the securitylock protected area. No key, no 13th screw access.
You can basically gorilla that keylocked door off but you'll leave scratches or other signs of tampering. Which is what was done with one of the EBay TS boxes.
I don't know if it's connected, but...the TS had the most obviously ghastly thing inside any of these boxes found to date: the motherboard switches and accompanying chart that allow you to select any of three possible bootloaders (actually boot memory locations but the two in there each contain different bootloaders and you can plug in a third).
Was Diebold (actually Global at the time) trying to limit access to that switch setup? Put another way, did they want to slow down some curious geek pollworker who might want to take a look inside the black box? Impossible to say but it's an intriguing line of speculation.
(Message edited by Jimmarch on September 01, 2006) |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 5594
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 4 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 1, 2006 - 8:40 am: |
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It should be noted that the TSx and TS machines have more protection over manipulation of the information on the memory card. The optical scan machine, shown above, has a memory card that is wide open for tampering, either by manipulating the report or by stuffing the electronic ballot box.
This Tool Kit is a Declaration of Independence for Citizens:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/toolkit.pdf
- It's time for you to recognize your own power.
- You don't need us.
- You don't have to find someone to follow.
- Pick any module. Pick a single action in it. See it to its completion.
- You've just opened the door to an unexpected evolution.
"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -– Declaration of Independence
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Doug Fields
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Def94528
Post Number: 11
Registered: 03-2006
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 5 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 5:17 pm: |
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The Registrar from Constra Costa County maile this to me. It states:
"Sending voting equipment and supplies home with poll workers is equally secure to the alternative approach of delivering equipment to poll sites in advance of the election where the chain of custody and security cannot be as easily documented or traced."
It looks like sleep overs are ok. See the full document below
California Association of
Clerks and Election Officials
ISSUE PAPER: VOTING EQUIPMENT “SLEEPOVER” PRACTICE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF CLERKS AND ELECTION OFFICIALS (CACEO)
July 27, 2006
The reference to voting equipment “sleepover” refers to the practice of election officials distributing secured voting equipment to poll workers in advance of the election. In this model, voting equipment and all election supplies (including paper ballots) are stored at the home of lead poll workers (inspectors) and transported to the poll site on Election Day. Questions have been raised regarding the security and integrity of voting equipment under this practice.
Association Statement
The California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO) recognizes that distributing secured voting equipment to poll workers prior to Election Day is an efficient, accountable and transparent practice that contributes to the orderly and secure conduct of elections.
The following safeguards associated with this practice ensure that the integrity of the elections process is maintained:
All poll workers take an oath to uphold the integrity of the elections process prior to initiating their duties. Poll workers are essential to ensuring public accountability in the elections process. It is appropriate that they are entrusted with the security of voting equipment and supplies prior to and during the day of the election.
Poll workers are trained to confirm that voting equipment is sealed and that the tamper-evident seals are not broken prior to the opening of the polls on Election Day.
Lead poll workers (inspectors) are required to complete comprehensive training on all election processes which they are legally responsible for administering on Election Day.
Sending voting equipment and supplies home with poll workers is equally secure to the alternative approach of delivering equipment to poll sites in advance of the election where the chain of custody and security cannot be as easily documented or traced.
Memory cards, programming chips and other electronic data storage devices used to record votes are sealed within the voting equipment using tamper-evident seals prior to distribution.
Upon confirming that the seals are intact prior to opening the polls, the poll workers break the seals and run a zero report (or tape) to document and confirm that no votes have been cast or recorded on equipment prior to the first voter appearing at the poll site.
At the close of the polls, a results report (or tape) is run to show the number of ballots cast and votes recorded on the equipment. This report is maintained as part of the comprehensive audit and reconciliation processes associated with the canvassing and certification of the election.
California election law requires all voting systems to produce a physical representation of the ballot, either a paper ballot or a voter verified paper audit trail, which is used to validate vote results recorded on or by the voting system.
As a public and transparent process, elections in the United States historically rely on the checks and balances associated with appointing citizen poll workers to oversee the conduct at the polls. This practice is consistent with that model.
Officium Populi – Office of the People
OFFICERS 2004-2005
CONNY MCCORMACK
PRESIDENT
Los Angeles County
P.O. Box 1024
Norwalk, CA 90650
562-462-2716
cmccorma@rrcc.co.la.ca.us
STEPHEN WEIR
VICE PRESIDENT
Contra Costa County
KATHLEEN MORAN
TREASURER
Colusa County
REBECCA MARTINEZ
SECRETARY
Madera County
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
APPOINTED:
JANICE ATKINSON
Sonoma County
COLLEEN BAKER
Siskiyou County
DARLENE BLOOM
Orange County
CANDACE GRUBBS
Butte County
JOSEPH HOLLAND
Santa Barbara County
TIM JOHNSON
Tuolumne County
JOHN MCKIBBEN
Los Angeles County
MIKEL HAAS
San Diego County
DOLORES PROVENCIO
Imperial County
JOHN TUTEUR
Napa County
LARRY HERRERA*
City Clerk, Long Beach
*non-voting member
ELECTED:
JULIE BUSTAMANTE
Northern Area
Lassen County
JIM MCCAULEY
Mother Lode Area
Placer County
MICHAEL SMITH
Bay Area
Marin County
JULIE RODEWALD
Central Area
San Luis Obispo County
BARBARA DUNMORE
Southern Area
Orange County
ADVISORY COUNCIL
MARSHA WHARFF
Mendocino County
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES
CLERK OF THE BOARD:
VIOLET VARONA-LUKENS
Los Angeles County
COUNTY CLERK:
EEVE LEWIS
Sonoma County
COURTS:
PAT CHANDLER
Kern County
ELECTIONS:
JILL LAVINE
Sacramento County
DEBORAH SEILER
Solano County |
John Howard
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Harmonyguy
Post Number: 503
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 7:53 pm: |
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What's the Blue/Gray hand-sized box that has the two cables coming out of the side and the single DB-15 connector on the front? A box within the box? It's not as readily recognizable as some of the other gear is.
Larger pictures would be tremendously beneficial, if they're available.
HG;) |
Jim March
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jimmarch
Post Number: 49
Registered: 05-2006
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 2 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 8:59 pm: |
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Yeah, good question.
Looks to me like it may be a modem? Like an old desktop external 33.6k model? I wasn't there when the case was opened so I have no idea for sure... |
Jo Anne Karasek
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Jo_anne_karasek
Post Number: 170
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Sunday, September 3, 2006 - 1:48 am: |
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The problem of sleepovers of voting machines with memory cards/memory sticks, etc. is another very solid reason why voting machines are not acceptable.
They have no way of making the voting machines with memory cards/meory sticks secure either at the precinct or the precinct workers' home.
Hand counted paper ballots are easier to make secure because they can be under lock and key, (while a single alteration of the voting machine can change votes in the thousands), hand counted paper ballots can only be altered one by one, the hand counted paper ballot box can be checked by election officals and public for ballot stuffing before the election is done, and a secure hand counted paper ballot system has stubs with successive numbers, precincts and the election date on them that can be used to verify no duplication of ballots. |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 5599
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Sunday, September 3, 2006 - 3:58 am: |
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The big lie in the California elections officials statement:
quote:Memory cards, programming chips and other electronic data storage devices used to record votes are sealed within the voting equipment using tamper-evident seals prior to distribution.
It is not a tamper evident seal. If you can remove it undetectably in four minutes for $12, it is a lie that this is secure. Can it be possible that Diebold didn't know this?
Surely not.
# # # # #
This Tool Kit is a Declaration of Independence for Citizens:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/toolkit.pdf
- It's time for you to recognize your own power.
- You don't need us.
- You don't have to find someone to follow.
- Pick any module. Pick a single action in it. See it to its completion.
- You've just opened the door to an unexpected evolution.
"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -– Declaration of Independence
|
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 5600
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Sunday, September 3, 2006 - 4:00 am: |
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John Howard:
quote:What's the Blue/Gray hand-sized box that has the two cables coming out of the side and the single DB-15 connector on the front? A box within the box?
That's the modem.
To all: larger photos on the way. I am unfortunately not as skilled as Jim March in doing the photography, and am learning the ropes with how to focus for good resolution without glare. Bigger photos are on the way as soon as I can accomplish this.
# # # # #
This Tool Kit is a Declaration of Independence for Citizens:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/toolkit.pdf
- It's time for you to recognize your own power.
- You don't need us.
- You don't have to find someone to follow.
- Pick any module. Pick a single action in it. See it to its completion.
- You've just opened the door to an unexpected evolution.
"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." -– Declaration of Independence
|
Dan Oetting
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Dan_oetting
Post Number: 81
Registered: 07-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Sunday, September 3, 2006 - 7:50 am: |
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quote:As a public and transparent process, elections in the United States historically rely on the checks and balances associated with appointing citizen poll workers to oversee the conduct at the polls. This practice is consistent with that model.
The traditional checks and balances involve 2 poll workers from opposite parties watching each other. To stay consistent with the historical model would require having republicans and democrats sleeping together. |
Nancy Tobi
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Ntobi
Post Number: 53
Registered: 01-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Monday, September 4, 2006 - 7:17 am: |
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"The traditional checks and balances involve 2 poll workers from opposite parties watching each other. To stay consistent with the historical model would require having republicans and democrats sleeping together."
A quick review of our corporate government would indicate that this is already the case. |
Brant Lamb
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Brantl
Post Number: 855
Registered: 01-2005
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 2 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 5, 2006 - 4:39 am: |
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The document says: "Upon confirming that the seals are intact prior to opening the polls, the poll workers break the seals and run a zero report (or tape) to document and confirm that no votes have been cast or recorded on equipment prior to the first voter appearing at the poll site." This in infantile reasoning that any smart child could have come up with a better idea than this. You keep the seal on, and you keep it on throughout the election, checking it (at least one in a while) to be certain that it is still intact.
Nanci Tobi quoted: "The traditional checks and balances involve 2 poll workers from opposite parties watching each other. To stay consistent with the historical model would require having republicans and democrats sleeping together." And if they aren't "sleeping together" where are the two people of opposite parties that should be with this voting machine at all times? It seems to me that they have now required that Democrats and Republicans sleep together, and literally. |
Rick Simon
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Rsimon
Post Number: 12
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Thursday, September 7, 2006 - 3:47 pm: |
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Yeah. Like a pollwoker will disassemble a unit like that. And even if they did, they only get one polling place. It would take a conspiracy of 800 people with tech skills in a small county to pull that off.
Or, better yet, like someone will walk into a polling place and do all that without anyone noticing or caring.
You guys are priceless. |
Catherine Ansbro
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Catherine_a
Post Number: 3263
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 2 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 8, 2006 - 3:41 am: |
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"Yeah. Like a pollwoker will disassemble a unit like that. And even if they did, they only get one polling place."
Rick,
There has been discussion elsewhere indicating that tampering with one machine has the potential to impact a tabulating computer as well.
If "only one machine" is affected--you mean to say that's alright with you? Tampering with "only" one machine could change the results in some tight races. Throwing a local-level election can have lasting implications on the financial, zoning and other decisions that are made in an area which have lasting consequences. "Electing" corrupt office holders at local level also sets the stage for larger-scale corruption. |
Brant Lamb
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Brantl
Post Number: 865
Registered: 01-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, September 8, 2006 - 4:38 am: |
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Rick said: "Yeah. Like a pollwoker will disassemble a unit like that. And even if they did, they only get one polling place. It would take a conspiracy of 800 people with tech skills in a small county to pull that off."
Once they've gone home to the pollworkers' houses, what makes you think that it's the pollworker who would do this? Do you think that they're taking the machine to work with them for a week? Put on a mailman's uniform and carry a box and you can walk up to any house/apartment you want. You're peculiarly unimaginative, Rick. |
Robert S. Whitehorn
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Rodomonte
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 11:35 am: |
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I’m concerned about when the red plastic seal on the Optiscan is supposed to be broken and whether there are legal rules about this or not in King County.
Brant Lamb’s Tuesday 9/5 post (04:39 am) says, “The document [ISSUE PAPER: VOTING EQUIPMENT “SLEEPOVER” PRACTICE (Does this document apply only in California?)] says: ‘Upon confirming that the seals are intact prior to opening the polls, the poll workers break the seals and run a zero report (or tape) to document and confirm that no votes have been cast or recorded on equipment prior to the first voter appearing at the poll site.’”
Coincidentally, as chance would have it, when I went to the polling place yesterday evening (9/19)—very interested now in seeing a Diebold Optiscan in the flesh—the person in front of me to insert her ballot in the device had a paper jam. I’m tall, and the result was that I had an unobstructed view over her shoulder while the poll worker unlocked the Diebold device from the top of the ballot box, briefly pulled it away from the ballot box to unjam the ballot, and replaced it and relocked it. I clearly saw that the seal, which I recognized from the photos on the BlackBoxVoting web site, was intact. So, according to the laws, rules, and practices in effect in King County, Washington, is this an error? Standard operating procedure?
Poll workers do make errors: only moments before, the kindly and very well-meaning elderly lady who handed me my ballot gave it to me without asking me to sign anything, so that it was I who had to remind her. If, instead, I had just taken the ballot without saying anything, I suppose I could have come back in an hour and voted again. So errors do occur. |
V. Kurt Bellman
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Formerelecdir
Post Number: 646
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 12:00 pm: |
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Yes, Robert,
As much as we might wish to believe otherwise, poll worker error is not just common, it is rampant. It will only get worse the more technology we throw at increasingly elderly quasi-volunteers.
The poll workers are doing their level best in most cases. We have started to outstrip the typical poll workers capacity to learn and retain the amount of procedure training that is necessary. Provisional ballots are the source of more error than anything else I can think of right now.
New solutions are needed. |
