Archiv: Election Systems and Software (corporation)


13.11.2020 - 12:30 [ NYBooks.com ]

Who Owns Our Voting Machines?

(November 2020)

These “black boxes” have required both election officials and the public to take on faith that the machines are programmed to capture voter intent, not subvert it. When researchers have attempted to examine the computer code, they have been threatened with lawsuits by the election vendors. (…)

These include machines that can be reprogrammed remotely or in person by surreptitiously (and easily) inserting fraudulent media cards or thumb drives, as researchers have shown over and over again.

Meanwhile, despite claims to the contrary by election vendors, it’s been demonstrated that ballot scanners in precincts in the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Florida use wireless modems that connect to the Internet. (…)

These vulnerabilities—and others—inject doubt into the public’s perception of election integrity. That doubt is compounded by the fact that the three major election vendors in the United States—Election Systems and Software, Hart InterCivic, and Dominion—are owned by private equity. Together, they account for about 80 percent of all election equipment used in the United States.

04.11.2020 - 21:03 [ NYBooks.com ]

Who Owns Our Voting Machines?

These vulnerabilities—and others—inject doubt into the public’s perception of election integrity. That doubt is compounded by the fact that the three major election vendors in the United States—Election Systems and Software, Hart InterCivic, and Dominion—are owned by private equity. Together, they account for about 80 percent of all election equipment used in the United States. This leaves the public in the dark about who owns the voting machine companies, or how much money those owners make from elections.

At the very least, not knowing who is behind these companies—and if they have ties to either political party, donate to super PACs, or have a financial stake in the outcome of an election—undermines confidence in the proprietary software undergirding voting machines. The federal government, which does not participate in the administration of elections, could change this by requiring any election vendor paid with federal funds to disclose its full ownership and post its balance sheet. Until then, as Saltman warned, “situations may be created in which conflict of interest is a serious concern.”