ELETRONIC VOTING: Arguments Against

SOURCE/LINK: http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/2006-07/electronic-voting/index_files/page0002.html

ELETRONIC VOTING

Arguments Against

Voting has progressed in technology from traditional days when voters dropped votes marked on a shell, shard of pottery, or card into a box to the current days where voting is controlled by electronics and the processes leading to the vote remain unseen to the human eye. Despite the change in method of voting, the basic facets of good voting tactics remain the same: ensuring one vote per voter, maintaining voter anonymity, accuracy of vote, security of the system, and prevention of fraud.

This is where the problem lies in many arguments against electronic voting opponents do not feel that the voting basics can be maintained in an electronic voting system. The arguments have been divided into 3 general categories of complaints: issues with the technology, vast possibilities of fraud, and protection of voters and their votes.

As Bruce Schneier describes it, technology adds more steps to the process and thus increases the possibility of error with each additional step, all of which are largely unseen by the voter. Put Murphys Law of whatever can go wrong, will go wrong into play, and one can surmise that technology will most likely falter. Not only does the technology create more errors in the electronic workings, but the voters can also commit mistakes due to confusion with the user interface. The terminology is confusing, different machines produce different interfaces, and even the audio guides to help the disabled may prove more confusing than helpful.

With the advent of electronic machine voting also comes the higher possibilities of fraudulent machines and practices. First of all, the technology is black box software, meaning that the public is not allowed access into the software that controls the voting machines. Although companies protect their software to protect against fraud (and to beat back competition), this also leaves the public with no idea of how the voting software works. It would be simple for the company to manipulate the software to produce fraudulent results. Also, the vendors who market the machines are in competition with each other, and there is no guarantee that they are producing the machines in the best interest of the voters and the accuracy of the ballots.

Lastly, vote accuracy is also an issue, because voters have no way of confirming there vote, and there is also no way of conducting a recount with direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting. With DRE, there is no paper trail, no verification, and thus no scrutiny of the processes. Voter anonymity is also a problem. Voters have to provide much of their personal information to the systems for voter verification, and with that comes the problem of keeping voter information safe and keeping voters anonymous.

The cons against electronic voting laid out here are only some of the arguments against electronic voting. However, they are a good reflection of the ethical and technical concerns related to the issue of electronic voting.

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quarta-feira, 5 de novembro de 2014

CHECK OUT “In the Senate, Mr. Neves defends investigation of ‘petrolão’ ( major corruption scandal involving state oil company Petrobras )”

(ENGLISH VERSION)
CHECK OUT “In the Senate, Mr. Neves defends investigation of ‘petrolão’             ( major corruption scandal involving state oil company Petrobras )”
 Estadão Conteúdo
  By Ricardo Brito, Nivaldo Souza and Isadora Peron | Estadão Contents







  Mr. Neves lost to Dilma by 3.28 percentage points (Photo: Estadão Content)


The defeated candidate for the presidency, Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG), said on Wednesday that any attempt at conversation between the government of President Dilma Rousseff (PT) and the opposition is subject to investigation and prosecution of allegations of corruption scandal that affect Petrobras. In a half-hour speech from the rostrum of the Senate, the toucan said PT governments were "intolerant" for 12 years and now advocate dialogue. He said it is necessary to know whether the government's proposals accomplish the Brazilians' needs.
"Any dialogue must be conditioned for deeper investigation and exemplary punishment of those who staged the major corruption scandal known as petrolão the country," he said, when he was warmly applauded in Parliament. According to the toucan, the scheme only came to light because it was unable to stifle whistleblowers in the scheme of Petrobras. Mr. Neves  said hide and camouflage was the focus of the current government, but failed to hide corruption. He mentioned that corruption has reached unprecedented levels in the country.

Aetius Neves said that the government hid there was the urgent need to make economic adjustments. He mentioned that a few days after the election, there was an increase in the basic interest rate of the economy and gave approval for adjustment of fuel prices. During the campaign, he recalled that Rousseff denied that there was a high price and scarcity.

On Wednesday of last week (29), in a totally unexpected decision, the Central Bank decided to raise the benchmark interest rate to 11.25% per annum in the first action after the reelection of President Dilma Rousseff. Since April, the Selic was at 11.00% per annum. In a statement following the decision, the executive committee judged that it would be appropriate to adjust monetary conditions to ensure, at a lower cost, the prevalence of a more benign outlook for inflation in 2015 and 2016.

After acknowledging the defeat of the ballot box, the PSDB PSDB highlighted the "poorest" and the Northeast in the speech. He criticized the fact that the the campaign of Dilma tried to divide the country between rich and poor, North and Northeast. "Waging an unequal contest these elections, in which those in power shamelessly used the state apparatus to perpetuate for another four years," said the toucan. The toucan is said to have placed in recent months as an alternative to a more effective and modern state. He said that the proposed rapprochement between Brazil and the rest of the world to which "we turned our backs." "And today Brazilians live with a stagnant and heavy economic model."

Mr. Neves also said he climbed the podium after the elections with the burden of responsibility that had to vote and the political project of which it is part. But criticized at various times, the opposing candidate. "The lie was the main weapon. Lie about the past, to divert attention from this," he said, saying that the opposition was accused of proposals that do not even done.

Councils
Before the speech, he stated that he will strive for the defeat of the PT decree on the regulation of social councils. "Let's give the Bolivarian bill in the Senate the same fate that happened in the House," he said. When asked about the use of the term "Bolivarianism" and agreed with the expression, Aetius avoided qualify the word. The senator said he wore it because I had heard earlier in the act of PSDB with other opposition parties, held in one of the auditoriums of the House.

Mr. Neves also commented that the vote received the former President and Senator José Sarney (PMDB-AP) as caught a television network of Amapá. "There's vote penality to Sarney, no. He was voted for Tancred in the past. And Tancredo already thanked his vote," he said.

Defeat
Provisional Measure (MP) rejected last week, the proposed Dilma to regulate the advice of popular participation. The arrival of the project to the Senate has caused unease between the governing coalition and the Palácio do Planalto. Last week, the president of the House, Renan (PMDB-AL), said the proposal has generated "dissatisfaction" in Congress.


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(PORTUGUESE VERSION)


No Senado, Aécio defende investigação do "petrolão"
Estadão ConteúdoPor Ricardo Brito, Nivaldo Souza e Isadora Peron | Estadão Conteúdo – 2 horas 28 minutos atrás
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Aécio Neves perdeu para Dilma por 3,28 pontos percentuais (Foto: Estadão Conteúdo)

O candidato derrotado à Presidência da República, senador Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG), afirmou nesta quarta-feira que qualquer tentativa de conversa entre o governo da presidente Dilma Rousseff (PT) e a oposição está condicionado à investigação e à punição das denúncias de corrupção que atingem a Petrobras. Em pronunciamento de meia hora da tribuna do Senado, o tucano disse que os governos do PT foram "intolerantes" durante 12 anos e agora defendem o diálogo. Ele disse que é preciso saber se as propostas do governo atendam as necessidades dos brasileiros.

"Qualquer diálogo tem que estar condicionado ao aprofundamento das investigações e exemplares punições daqueles que protagonizaram o maior escândalo de corrupção do país conhecido como petrolão", afirmou, quando foi efusivamente aplaudido em plenário. Segundo o tucano, o esquema só veio à tona porque não foi possível abafar os delatores do esquema da Petrobras. Aécio disse que esconder e camuflar foi a tônica do atual governo, embora não tenha conseguido esconder a corrupção. Ele mencionou que a corrupção chegou a níveis nunca antes atingidos no País.

Aécio Neves disse ainda que o governo escondeu que havia a urgência da necessidade de se fazer ajustes econômicos. Citou que, dias depois da eleição, houve um aumento da taxa básica de juros da economia e deu aval para reajuste do preço dos combustíveis. Durante a campanha, ele lembrou que Dilma negava que havia a alta de preços e a carestia.

Na quarta-feira da semana passada (29), em uma decisão totalmente inesperada, o Banco Central decidiu elevar a taxa básica de juros, para 11,25% ao ano, na primeira ação depois da reeleição da presidente Dilma Rousseff. Desde abril, a Selic estava em 11,00% ao ano. No comunicado que se seguiu à decisão, a diretoria da instituição avaliou que seria oportuno ajustar as condições monetárias para garantir, a um custo menor, a prevalência de um cenário mais benigno para a inflação em 2015 e 2016.

Após reconhecer a derrota das urnas, o tucano PSDB destacou os "mais pobres" e os nordestinos no discurso. Ele criticou o fato de que o a campanha de Dilma tentou dividir o País entre ricos e pobres, Norte e Nordeste. "Travamos nessas eleições uma disputa desigual, em que os detentores do poder usaram despudoradamente o aparato estatal para se perpetuarem por mais quatro anos", afirmou o tucano. O tucano disse ter se colocado nos últimos meses como alternativa de um estado mais eficaz e moderno. Disse ainda que propôs a reaproximação do Brasil com o resto do mundo, ao qual "demos as costas". "E que hoje os brasileiros convivem com um modelo econômico estagnado e pesado".

Aécio disse que subia à tribuna após as eleições com a carga de responsabilidade que teve com a votação e o projeto político do qual faz parte. Mas criticou, em vários momentos, a candidatura adversária. "A mentira foi a principal arma. Mentira sobre o passado, para desviar a atenção do presente", afirmou, ao dizer que a oposição foi acusado de propostas que nem sequer fizeram.

Conselhos
Antes do pronunciamento, ele afirmou que irá se empenhar pela derrota do decreto da petista sobre a regulamentação dos conselhos sociais. "Vamos dar ao decreto bolivariano no Senado o mesmo destino que se deu na Câmara", disse. Ao ser questionado sobre o uso do termo "bolivarianismo" e se concordava com a expressão, Aécio evitou qualificar a palavra. O senador disse que o usava porque tinha ouvido mais cedo no ato do PSDB com outros partidos de oposição, realizado em um dos auditórios da Câmara.

Aécio também comentou o voto que recebeu do ex-presidente e senador José Sarney (PMDB-AP), conforme flagrou uma rede de televisão do Amapá. "Não penalizo o voto do Sarney, não. Ele votou foi no Tancredo. E Tancredo já agradeceu o voto", afirmou.

Derrota
Os deputados rejeitaram, na semana passada, a proposta de Dilma para regulamentar os conselhos de participação popular. A chegada do projeto ao Senado já causou mal estar entre a base governista e o Palácio do Planalto. Na semana passada, o presidente da Casa, Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL), afirmou que a proposta gerou "insatisfação" no Congresso.
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