Insider\'s View of Vote Vulnerability

¶ … Insider's View of Vote Vulnerability" by Avi Rubin is obviously a piece intended for a progressive audience as indicated by the Common Dreams organization that has posted it which uses the identifier for its page, "Breaking News & View for the Progressive Community." The author argues against using electronic voting machines without also using voter verifiable paper ballots. Rubin asserts that his research team has observed incorrect encryption of a modem connection in a machine manufactured by Diebold. Because of this flaw, he states that anyone able to tap the phone lines would be able to tamper with votes. Further, he claims that software packages are so complex that there is no way to tell if there has been malicious behavior.

There are many problems with Rubin's credibility. As evidence of expertise, Rubin reveals that he was an election judge during the March 2 primary in Baltimore County. This single reference doesn't qualify Rubin as an election expert, much less an authority on computer security. There are no credentials cited for the research team he says has identified the encryption problem. There is also a question of the author's bias for requiring the paper ballots. One has to wonder if this requirement might mean more work for him in future elections. The author's credibility is somewhat diminished by his use of a single example of someone who might have interest in manipulating elections, well-funded foreign powers. Certainly, this could be a possibility, but there are just as many other likely candidates that Rubin should have mentioned. It appears that his choice of example is an attempt to charge emotions rather than to offer serious analysis.