RE: serial numbers, revisited

[kellen carey <kcarey636@xxxxxxxxx>]

Some Guy (Paul?),

I agree with you that nontransparent, unverifiable
tabulating software ranks higher in importance than
uniquely numbered ballots.  (I've written very little
about uniquely marked ballots vs. thousands of words
on secret tabulating software, mostly last year).

But don't think uniquely identified ballots isn't (or
couldn't become) an issue.  Vote buying and selling
could return, as could coercion and intimidation.  Not
today, not tomorrow, but perhaps the day after
tomorrow.  

It's easy to say today you aren't concerned about
others knowing how you vote, but in the 19th century,
when cast votes were public, many people were
intimidated by bosses or neighborhood thugs if they
didn't vote a certain way.

What's needed is a wholesale overhaul of the entire
electoral apparatus, from registration to vote
counting and verifying.

kell
--- Some Guy <someguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Kell (et al),
> 
> I am not clear how it matters that there are serial
> numbers. Yes, I believe
> that someone could track back a ballot, but it would
> take a good deal of
> work and timing. And someone would need a good
> reason to try.
> Motive; opportunity; and access. The triad of white
> collar crime.
> 
> Perhaps someone will be able to figure out an
> automated method and exploit
> it, but what would be the purpose?
> 
> I think that Article VII, Section 8 clearly states
> that these markings are
> unconstitutional. That has not been argued in court
> and needs to be.
> 
> There are other issues at hand that are far more
> important than if one
> person can create a situation where they can track
> down how one other person
> voted.
> This entire issue of ballot marking is a smoke
> screen. It is misdirection
> away from real issues. Issues pertaining to what
> goes on inside the tallying
> computers; issues about hardware and software.
> Issues of the secrecy of the
> process; not the secrecy of the voter.
> 
> Of course some have an issue over secrecy of the
> voter, but as most people
> know, I don?t have this issue. I don?t care how
> individuals voted and I don?
> t care who knows how I voted.
> 
> This project to deal with ballot markings is the
> minutia. We know it is
> wrong and it needs lawyers and courts to solve.
> 
> Much greater problems exist that need attention to
> uncover, or redesign. I
> beg of you all to cease wasting your time on voter
> secrecy and pay greater
> attention to the things that are being hidden in the
> smoke and mirrors.
> 
> Some Guy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kellen carey [mailto:kcarey636@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 5:17 PM
> To: Verifiablevoting Citizens
> Subject: Re: serial numbers, revisited
> 
> The issue is less how easy the serial numbers are to
> read now than the
> precedent it sets for abuse in the future.
> 
> Kell
> [|>]
> 



		
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