Until we see the source code for all the voting machines, any winner of an election will be illegitimate. Where is the source code for the voting machines? Why won't they release it?
71 2016-10-23 by TheUltimateSalesman
What's the big deal? Release the source.
20 comments
3 gustoreddit51 2016-10-23
That this or some regulatory form of this has not happened speaks to the two party hegemony over the national voting systems. Neither party seems to want it bullet proof.
Electronic voting has absolutely been shown to be vulnerable to hacking and there has been sworn testimony by people hired to alter code for nefarious purposes. And that was following the 2000 elections. Here it is 16 years later and we're no better off.
2 CodeHustler 2016-10-23
Releasing the source code would actually make the machines easier to hack because everyone would know exactly how they work and how they could be exploited, there would be no guesswork. So releasing the sourcecode would only add to the problem.
Edit: spelling
1 TheUltimateSalesman 2016-10-23
You can't fix a problem if you can't see it. That's like saying you don't want to know how your car can be stolen because then you'd know about it.
1 CodeHustler 2016-10-23
What you're saying is avoid having your car car stolen by opening all the door, leaving the keys in the ignition and turning the radio up to max volume.
1 Meistermalkav 2016-10-23
What would you like more?
That I tell you your voting machine can't get hacked, or that someone else besides me tests that for you? because if only I am allowed to test it, buddy, I have such skills in my back, tremendous skills, my voting machines are unhackable.
Security through obscurity only works in situations where the payoff is small enough. A reverse example of that is vegas.
the software for all gaming machines is known to the comission.
there are regular cheks if the correct version of the software that is on the books is running.
to block these checks, or to deny access, means effectiely getting your license to operate pulled.
every casino knows and agrees that if one of them gets caught cheating, all of them loose.
I just want the same standart for voting machines. I want someone to go around, and see if all these milliuons of dollars the US or other countries pump into voting machines got you anything more then "hot promises".
And I am well aware that perfect security is impossible. but I want it checked that "we made sure, to the best of our abilities, to fix every bug we encountered" does not mean "we sat on our asses twiddling thumbs. "
1 [deleted] 2016-10-23
I only trust my library budget vote.all others I have zero trust in. Why I don't bother. The Chad's of 2000 really turned me off. And they have had 16 years to improve.
1 lonely-day 2016-10-23
The source code?
3 TheUltimateSalesman 2016-10-23
The readable software code that is compiled to create the actual code that isn't human readable that the voting machines use to run. If you have the source code, you can see the problems.
6 lonely-day 2016-10-23
Couldn't you also figure out a way to manipulate the system if you have the code?
4 Putin_loves_cats 2016-10-23
Look into why Linux is less vulnerable than Microsoft. One is opensource, the other is not...
4 TruthinessHurts 2016-10-23
Possibly, but thousands of experts will be going over that code and would quickly find any foul play or backdoors/cheats that have been added. Right now the software could be full of tools to change votes and we'd never be able to tell.
2 TheUltimateSalesman 2016-10-23
Absolutely. You're talking about security through obscurity. You could also bury all your money under a tree in the backyard, but would you? No, of course not.
1 lonely-day 2016-10-23
No, I'm simply asking a question for knowledge. I'm not suggesting anything, just to be clear. I love transparency.
1 TheUltimateSalesman 2016-10-23
Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Yes, you definitely could find a way to manipulate the system, but you could also find a way to fix the way to manipulate the system.
1 lonely-day 2016-10-23
I see. Then yes, they should but we know they won't. Seems like that Robin Williams movie, man of the year.
1 King-Hell 2016-10-23
Republicans control most of the electronic voting, so ask them.
1 Telenerd 2016-10-23
You don't need the source code. Actually having the source means absolutely nothing in terms of determining security as patches can be made post-compilation, among many many other things. What you need is a live dump of memory and a compiled binary to reverse engineer as well as probably just direct access to the machine while it's running.
1 m3mb3r5h1p_r3v0k3d 2016-10-23
Source code was leaked to anonymous for inspection a couple years back. I don't know the details or whatever came of it.
1 matarky1 2016-10-23
A machine that prints a physical scantron-esque ticket with a number and a fillable box for candidate. When counted through a machine they should be uploaded onto a site where you can type in the number from your vote ticket and see that the candidate you voted for was recorded correctly and not changed at any point.
-1 Putin_loves_cats 2016-10-23
Of course we can't Tis under patent and copyright. How convenient....
-1 911bodysnatchers322 2016-10-23