Let’s get off the hamster wh…
3/19/2009
Usually fighting for public rights and observable elections is just like running on a hamster wheel — constant battles about uncertified, defective voting machines, hiding freedom of information documents, and quibble, quibble, quibble about hand counts, spot checks, digital signatures, cryptography, certifications, testing…but Germany just took a big short cut and got off the hamster wheel altogether! We can learn a lot from what Germany just did.
What’s important is WHY Germany banned computerized voting. Newspapers gave the impression that Germany banned e-voting due to “security issues” or bugs. NOT SO: The ban was based on HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. This stopped e-voting dead in Germany. No more hamster wheel.
This decision represents spectacular progress for the US voting rights groups who believe computerized, secret vote counting violates inalienable rights. Germany gave us effective argumentation for this. It starts with reframing the issue of computerized voting into basic human rights.
Harold
ACGR's "News with Attitude" 