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Karmadillo

(9,253 posts)
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 06:39 AM Mar 2015

Would you trust an election system that allows for each vote to be changed?

http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2015/03/would-you-trust-election-system-that.html

Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Would you trust an election system that allows each vote to be changed?

Despite the pre-election polls, Bibi Netanyahu has won. But how did he win? Did his last-minute bombast and scaremongering turn the tide -- or was there another factor?

It was a stunning turnabout from the last pre-election polls published Friday, which showed the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, with a four- or five-seat lead and building momentum, and the Likud polling close to 20 seats. To bridge the gap, Mr. Netanyahu embarked on a last-minute scorched-earth campaign, promising that no Palestinian state would be established as long as he remained in office and insulting Arab citizens.


The appeal to the worst instincts of the citizenry may have worked its dark magic, as often happens here in the United States. But let us not be too quick to exclude the possibility of election hugger-mugger. Take note:

The new electronic voting system is being designed and implemented by TEHILA, which is a subdivision within Israel's ministry of finance. TEHILA's original mandate was to develop Israel's government portal. The task of developing the new voting system was assigned to TEHILA by Israel's minister of interior, Meir Shitrit.


TEHILA did not make public any technical paper describing their system. This is despite their repeated promises to be transparent, and to publish technical details and code.


The voter registers his or her vote on a smart card. Interestingly, the system allows the voter to change his vote -- once. (Why isn't the voter simply told to discard the first card and take another?) These votes are then counted by another machine.

What we do know for sure is that the system is fully software based, and does not have any "physical" component. As we argue here, this is a fundamental conceptual flaw in the design of the system.


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Would you trust an election system that allows for each vote to be changed? (Original Post) Karmadillo Mar 2015 OP
I'd be happy with a system that allowed each vote to be counted. Orrex Mar 2015 #1
I heard that loud and clear !!! SamKnause Mar 2015 #2
Sounds strangley familiar liberal N proud Mar 2015 #3
Was the system in use this week? starroute Mar 2015 #4
They cheated. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #5
I've got pretty good political instincts. I predicted two GW Bush terms in the 2000 election season NBachers Mar 2015 #6
Carl Rove's work is international now. zeemike Mar 2015 #7
Likud Thespian2 Mar 2015 #8
Hmmm. Seems like electronic voting machines have a rightwing bias. GoneFishin Mar 2015 #9

Orrex

(63,086 posts)
1. I'd be happy with a system that allowed each vote to be counted.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 06:42 AM
Mar 2015

We already have a system that allows each vote to be changed.

starroute

(12,977 posts)
4. Was the system in use this week?
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 08:49 AM
Mar 2015

When I googled a few days ago, all I found was a story from a few months back saying it wouldn't be ready in time for the anticipated election. Or did they rush it into use?

NBachers

(17,007 posts)
6. I've got pretty good political instincts. I predicted two GW Bush terms in the 2000 election season
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 09:26 AM
Mar 2015

and I saw Netanyahu's momentum slowing down. This is another of those "surprise" outcomes that goes against the prevailing political winds.

zeemike

(18,998 posts)
7. Carl Rove's work is international now.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 09:29 AM
Mar 2015

Why the fuck we have ever accepted electronic voting in the first place is beyond me...but we have even though we all know how easy it is to steel the vote.

Thespian2

(2,741 posts)
8. Likud
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 09:34 AM
Mar 2015

is The Republican Party of Israel. Would they cheat and steal to keep power? Yes. Did they, like the Repugs when all they had was W, steal elections? Probably. No voting system is completely trust-worthy, but the closest is the pencil marked paper ballot.

GoneFishin

(5,217 posts)
9. Hmmm. Seems like electronic voting machines have a rightwing bias.
Wed Mar 18, 2015, 10:20 AM
Mar 2015

I knew he would "win".

The right wing has no compunction against cheating.

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