For those (like me) who have only followed the e-voting controversy peripherally, here's a very thorough but concicse story about the various snafu's and oopses along the way, and what could happen if things went wrong. This has been brought up on the BBS before, but as the U.S. gets close to a very important and divisive election, I think it's very interesting to see the differences in opinion among e-voting proponents and detractors. I'm pretty sure e-voting is out of the question for the Presidential election this year, but it's funny to see how the party that isn't in charge wants e-voting reform, while the party that has the majority thinks it's a non-issue.

Now, I'm not sure there's exactly a vast right-wing conspiracy going on with e-voting, and the article stops short of claiming there is one. But clearly, e-voting has way more potential for abuse than the much-maligned paper ballots, just like it's a lot easier to hack into a bank's computer system to steal money than it is to break into the vault yourself. And more potential for abuse means more potential for corruption and a cover-up. Just some food for thought, since the political discussion seems to be ramping up again around here.

I just hope that if someone chooses to abuse the e-voting system that they go all out in a huge way. I don't want a slightly skewed election where it's tough to tell whether there was tampering or not. No, I want Scott Baio in the White House by a landslide.

I usually try to stay away from the conspiracy theory side of the business, but a lot of those folks like to talk about the case of Sen. Chuck Nagle (R-Nebraska), who was elected in a major upset victory. Nagle owns a significant interest in the parent company of ES&S, the firm that manufactured the voting system that Nebraskans used to elect him.

Maybe he really, legitimately won. Maybe there was fraud. But, there's insufficient evidence, either way, to ever validate the election results.

Of course, both California and Minnesota have managed to (legitimately) elect action heros without political experience to be their governors. Who's to say Scott Baio couldn't make a legit run somewhere?

LOL. Vice President Buddy Lembeck?

But, there's insufficient evidence, either way, to ever validate the election results.

Doesn't that in itself cast aspersions on the notion of e-voting, or at least the systems currently being used?

Not to mention the political legacy of Sonny Bono...

--Dan.