DREs are TOAST! wrote on Aug 4, 2007 1:52 AM:For the full decertification/ recertification document, go to [Web site]. Only one machine per precinct, and to be used only to meet HAVA and ADA requirements for disabled voters. The gaping security holes have been exposed and voters will NEVER trust the machines again.

Poll worker wrote on Aug 4, 2007 3:48 AM:Don't get me started. Fact is that computer hacking is a sport, regardless of the system. No one can stay ahead of this; that's the reality. We need to forget computers and come up with something more solid even if it is slower. I liked the old 'pull the curtain and flip the lever system.' No computer system will ever be hackproof. Now let's talk paper ballots. My VERY bright, computer savvy, recently graduated from a prestigious private university, son, officially requested an absentee ballot in the last 2 elections. None was sent. A straw poll of his peers revealed that about half from across the country received absentee ballots. Would you like to know what I really think? I will work the polls again and try to figure out a better system. I'm not even confident that my own vote was counted.

San Diego curious wrote on Aug 4, 2007 9:35 AM:Were those elections machines used in San Diego County ?

Hackers very capable wrote on Aug 4, 2007 9:36 AM:The article did not mention the other counties affected. Is San Diego one of them ? Hackers can do anything.

Mike wrote on Aug 4, 2007 12:15 PM:The democrat party does not like voting machines because it means they can not hide boxes of ballots in car trunks any longer. If the democrat party wanted to fix voter fraud they would not block the requirement to require identification to vote. Why are they so against proving identity to vote? This test was a sham. They hackers were given manuals, computer code and free access to the hardware. It is so much easier to steal a car when you hand over the keys.

Send these things back wrote on Aug 4, 2007 12:41 PM:...on the horse they came in on. Guess we need a new Registrar. If you want to use electronic voting terminals to eliminate over-vote, warn/confirm of undervote, fine. If you want to use electronic voting so that you can present the materials in any language, fine. We should be using electronic voting to produce a paper, human readable only, no barcodes, no voodoo, ballot. This ballot can be 100% verified by sight, by the voter, and cast. Use another machine to read those and count the results. Those can be audited, can be counted by hand, they don't crash, they don't have hanging chads, etc. Very simple. With this system you are nearly guaranteed machine readable ballots, much much more so than the previous method, if thats what your problem was. I, for one, had no problems at all with the Vote-0-Matic, how hard was it to put a card into a slot and push a pin through it. People have to believe in the system. There is a lot of doubt here, sure- a lot of it is ludicrous, but still, voting is an institution that needs to be believed in, and this is not helping. Do the right thing. Make something that the people can believe in.

Frank wrote on Aug 4, 2007 1:21 PM:With a slap in the face of California's disabled community, California's Secretary of State Debra Bowen has decided that the "easily hackable, insecure, untrustworthy, bug-ridden," touchscreen voting machines are not good enough to be used under any conditions --- except for the disabled community. She doesn't want the "sanctity of the vote" jeopardized for "regular" people, so she gives the 'crappy stuff to the disabled. She doesn't care if their vote is lost.

The disabled voter issue wrote on Aug 4, 2007 3:34 PM:is very difficult. Most of the major disAbility organizations have taken the postion for years that DRE touch- screens are the only way to allow disAbled voters access to voting in private and without assistance. I believe that Secretary of State Bowen is VERY attuned to the needs of the disAbled and will, by the conditions she is placing upon counties, see to it that disAbled voters have adequate and appropriate methods to vote properly. I believe that most of the accessibility issues CAN be resolved while not holding the large non-disAbled population to an insecure and unauditable solution. Remember, every DRE touch screen used by every disAbled voter will be 100% hand counted to ensure their votes are counted. That is a protection not currently afforded to the non-disAbled population.

Democracy - not Politics wrote on Aug 4, 2007 3:52 PM:Mike believes election integrity is a liberal conspiracy. I tend to agree that only the GOP has the resources to steal an election electronically. Best we keep elections simple(paper)and work together to keep that system honest.

Not Unexpected wrote on Aug 4, 2007 6:49 PM:Bowen was compelled to live up to a campaign promise, so this decision comes as no surprise. However, she could have spared everyone the drama from waiting until after the deadline, but I would expect no less from a Democrat to sit on the fence until being forced to make a firm decision. I liked the Votamatic, so bring it on.

This state is nuts! wrote on Aug 4, 2007 10:26 PM:Virginia has had electronic voting for years. I moved to CA 4 years ago and I am shocked at the backwards thinking of this state when it comes to modern elections. Paper ballots - are you kidding me! This is 2007 - do you still want to vote like you did in 1800?? I thought this state was forward thinking and modern. We have trusted electronic banking for decades - but we are afraid of a voting machine? Get real folks - its progress and it will keep the results out of the hands of criminals that want to change election results.

to Democracy wrote on Aug 4, 2007 10:29 PM:Have you heard of ACORN. Google it. It is a part of your democrat party - pros when it comes to voter fraud. Electronic voting would put a damper on their party of crime.

Vista Resident wrote on Aug 4, 2007 11:32 PM:The only really meaningful testing of electronic voting machines by our government just happened in California despite late compliance with requests from the Secretary of State. Debra Bowen stood up to some very powerful people by implementing the mandate of the voters who elected her. We want integrity in our voting systems. THANK YOU DEBRA BOWEN!!! Regarding the post above about disabled voters... Any disabled person still can choose to vote by paper. Using an electronic voting machine is not a requirement. This requirement is imposed on us in California by the Federal government. *** One wonders why our federal government is so disinterested in putting major resources into testing e-voting machines. It's more important than gambling or financial transactions. Yet, very little testing is required. The voting machine industry hires their own testers to test. That's hardly an unbiased test. Back to paper -- counted by hand at the local level -- with all parties watching to verify that no cheating is happening! I'm a computer programmer. And, I can tell you that we are constantly getting news of new security threats -- especially to the Windows operating system. And, Windows is used by the Diebold GEMS election management system. Testers were able to avoid audit logs and directly access data on the Diebold machine. Our Registrar of Voters in San Diego has insisted on obtaining yet more Diebold machines despite the security concerns of these machines. How do we replace our Registrar of Voters with one who will defend our democracy as Debra has just done?