[EM] Why We Shouldn't Count Votes with Machines

[Dave Ketchum]

On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 14:16:39 -0600 Kathy Dopp wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 3:51 PM, Dave Ketchum <davek at clarityconnect.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>>In fact some computer scientists just recently mathematically PROVED
>>>that it is impossible to even verify that the certified software is
>>>actually running on a voting machine.
>>
>>Tell us more, a bit more convincingly as to fact behind this opinion -
>>assuming proper defenses.
> 
> 
> Here is the info. I have not read the proof yet myself:
> 
> "In 'An Undetectable Computer Virus,' David Chess and Steven White show
> that you can always create a vote changing program (called virus
> there) that no "verification software" can ever detect.
> 
Gives headaches trying to sort out their details, but I quote one sentence: 
  "This paper's title, then, is deliberately somewhat provocative:  while 
the viruses that we present here are undetectable in the strict formal 
sense of the term, there is no reason to think that it is impossible to 
write a program that would detect them sufficiently well for all practical 
purposes."

If this was not enough, I think of:
      Build a master fox computer with special effort to keep rogue 
programmers out.
      Foxes ere smart enough to verify that all of them are identical with 
the masters that are carefully protected, while working foxes may risk harm.
      Working foxes also verify that other computers of interest remain 
virus-free - or failures get detected.
> ---
> 
> It seems to me that most of the persons on this list would rather have
> votes fraudulently counted using some alternative voting scheme that
> requires an unverifiable unauditable electronic voting system, than
> accurately counted using the plurality election method.

As said elsewhere, most of us are willing to endure some pain if this is 
what it takes to successfully escape the Plurality world.
> 
> Curious.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kathy
-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    people.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek
  Dave Ketchum   108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708   607-687-5026
            Do to no one what you would not want done to you.
                  If you want peace, work for justice.