You said,
"That's why there are version numbers."
and while this is a nice theory, we should keep in mind just how incompetent this really is. This is corporate and county staff failing to even check the screen to see if the versions match - keep in mind there is no legal framework currently in place forcing companies to mark their software OR hardware properly.

In other words, if I were an election vendor, I could change version 8.542 and fix a bug quietly, then distribute the new software version as 8.54203, but only display version 8.542 onscreen.

Now this would appear to be the same version, but it is clearly not.

So there are multiple levels of incompetence and deception that we must be concerned with.

How concerned? Well apparently these bumblers cannot even get the first level correct, that is, bothering to check at all.

So apparently we should be extremely paranoid, rather than only moderately paranoid or even vaguely disappointed.

William Singer #1

Good points.

I have noticed that some companies, when they get into a tizzy or a rush, will forget to increment the version number.

The certification rules are reasonable, in the sense that changes or patches must also go thru the certification process, however, the electronic voting machine companies are prone to ignore anything they want to.

They think they have "inherent power" to do whatever they want in the "interest of national security" (read: in their own interests).

Greg Palast has a new book coming out called "Armed Madhouse". Here's an interesting little snippet from his description for us all:

"...In the 2008 race, four million ballots will go missing. Here's how it will be done..."

US Threatened

The United States is threatened as never before. We are waging a war on global terror, we have entered a cycle of new Katrina-like killer storms and we face new health threats such as pandemic flu that threatens to kills tens of millions worldwide.
Whether we are threatened by a terrorist, by a series of natural disasters or a major epidemic, we must, both as a nation and as individuals, guard against economic chaos. Businesses must develop contingency planning so they can mitigate the effects of any emergency and survive --- and tax dollars must be spent wisely.
Wasteful spending affects every American citizen. It raises our taxes, thus depriving us of personal choices as to how we might spend our income. It depresses the economy in critical areas where those tax dollars should be applied. More importantly – it dilutes the security for you and me for which it is intended.
Taken to the extreme, the pork-barrel politicians and the greedy state, regional and local representatives who misspend homeland security funds give aid and comfort to the fanatical enemy that is dedicated to destroying our infrastructure and bankrupting our society.
On a moral and humanitarian level, misuse of these funds restricts our capability and capacity to respond to both man-made and natural disasters, such as terrorist sabotage or attacks and hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes.
Second, in terms of national concern, we must be aware of the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction, or WMD. Technology is such that more dedicated fanatics could feasibly threaten us physically, economically and psychologically with nuclear, biological or chemical WMDs. The attack on 9/11 demonstrated that the homeland is vulnerable ... and that thousands may be slaughtered – and many more severely injured – by the willful acts of just a few zealots.
You probably recall the anthrax scare that the United States experienced just a few years ago as the deadly chemical arrived in personal mail of various politicians and average citizens. A few deaths caused by the agent created waves of fear across the country, causing disruption of mail services and costing huge sums to detect and decontaminate.
Do you recall the symptoms? Do you know what to look for? Do you know whom to call if you receive a suspicious piece of mail?
Third is the threat of natural disasters that range from horrific earthquakes, to monster storms and tornadoes, to the possibility of a pandemic outbreak of disease. As we witnessed during Hurricane Katrina, when destruction is so widespread and inclusive, it may become impossible to draw upon government, our friends and neighbors ... or anyone else besides ourselves for sustenance, shelter or anything else for days, weeks and possibly months.
Man-made and natural disasters are also a greater threat to most of us than terrorism – and cost U.S. taxpayers and victims dearly. Still, there is much that one may do to minimize exposure to such threats and to mitigate the damage done to your loved ones and your property if they are caught in one of these disasters.
Then, finally, there are those more personal threats such as anarchy, murder, hostage taking, assault, carjacking, home invasion, robbery, accidents and disease. How do you minimize these threats ... what can you do?
Learn more by visiting www.isamericasafe.com. It will help you to sort through the threats to the homeland that you and your family may face and then assist you in developing a plan to eliminate or minimize your exposure, say Robert Jordan and Don Philpott co-authors of the book Is America Safe?

Don Philpott #4

The biggest threat to America at this moment is the republican dictatorship.

A Raw Story link says 5 democratic congress members arrested for protesting genocide (link here).

"Almost even, West Virginia...
Blue Ridge counting, Shenandoah shivers
This is old now, older than the trees
Ballots are a flying, waffling in the breeze"

"Country frauds, here at home
Flip the votes, won't be long
West Virginia's mountin' karma
Country frauds, here at home"

Others, please contribute verses.

Mean Jean Full of Schmidt has been reprimanded for guess what?

Lying (Raw Story Linked).

Wow, watch out, she will be promoted soon ...

Stop Lies. Protect America. Vote the republican dictatorship OUT in November

Gee and I thought B**h was incompetent.

It seems to me that if the vendors (not only ES&S, but all) are acting in good faith, their gross incompetence is overwhelming and they should withdraw from the market.

If the vendors are acting knowingly then their actions of missing delivery dates, supplying faulty equipment, wrong memory cards or malfunctioning memory cards, and all etc. In that case their performance should come under the heading of consumer fraud.

After studying this issue for some time I am reminded of confidence games where the unsuspecting (county election boards) are lured into purchasing faulty or nonexistant merchandice on a pretext (in this case: HAVA compliance) to inrich said vendors. The DoJ should be looking at the vendors rather than making unmeetable demands on the election boards.

Dredd Comment #7

Lest we forget who this witch
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) Ohio is,...

of Congressman Murtha is a "coward" fame,...
Link

Who do these people think they are fooling ?
Liar,.. Liar,.. your dunce cap is on fire !

(you beat me to the posting of her reprimand)

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) Ohio lies thru her teeth about the Murtha/coward comment she made,...

Schmidt liar : Link

Ohio 2nd Congressional District,..
Conservative Republican Primary

Jean Schmidt and Bob McEwen,...
practice slash throat politics on TV,..

to be broadcast Sunday 4/30/06
(Primary election Tuesday 5/02/06)

Schmidt/McEwen on air mud fight,..
Fascists Liars,.... Facist Liars : Link

What's up with Ohio,..
is there something bad
in the drinking water ?

Ohio 2nd Congressional District,..
Conservative Republican Primary

Jean Schmidt and Bob McEwen,...
practice slash throat politics on TV,..

to be broadcast Sunday 4/30/06
(Primary election Tuesday 5/02/06)

Schmidt/McEwen on air mud fight,..
Fascist Liars,.... Fascist Liars : Link

What's up with Ohio,..
is there something bad
in the drinking water ?

9/06/05 - What Rep. Jean Schmidt said during her maiden speech to the US House of Representatives after having been sworn in :

" I pledge to walk in the shoes of my colleagues and refrain from name-calling or the questioning of character. It is easy to quickly sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime. This great House pays the price."

This is the same woman who called Murtha a
coward !

The New York Times published an article claiming Schmidt has a reputation as "Mean Jean" in the Cincinnati area. It quoted the publisher of a political newsletter in Ohio, Jim Schifrin, "We have said innumerable times that she would go to Washington and open her mouth and create an embarrassment. She will say things that turn people off like nothing you've ever seen."

After the Murtha/coward flap,.. Jean Schmidt
cavalierly passed off her disgusting statement she made about this decorated war veteran Murtha in
this way :

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported in December that Schmidt said she has received praise and scorn for her remarks. She said she received a round of applause at a meeting of House Republicans and, from the public, several marriage proposals. "I have! It's amazing. There have been three marriage proposals and lots of dates. They think I'm a hottie," she said. "Of course, I denied all of them. Have you met my husband and know how cute he is? . . . Well, he's a hottie, come on!"

______________________

Rep. Murtha (D) Pa. wrote a resolution to bring the troops home from the failed war in Iraq as soon as possible.

The White House,.. Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld,
Rice wanted their war to proceed full steam ahead,
and tried to "Swift-boat" Murtha who was trying to wind down this ill planned ill executed war,.. but this swift-boat attempt at Murtha was not well received by the media or the general population.
So what this Bush administration did was unleash
the foaming mouth/rabid dog GOP lapdogs to hijack the legislative process to deny a vote on the Murtha resolution and write an resolution to the White Houses liking, which allowed the Iraq War to proceed unimpeded,.. that was the rewritten Murtha resolution they wanted voted on. What the Republican controlled House of Representatives was doing was hijacking the legislative process to prevent the Murtha resolution from being voted on,... Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) Ohio was serving proxy for the Bush Administration to "Swift-boat" Murtha from the floor of the House. Massive amounts of government treasure are being diverted into the wallets of the military industrial complex,.. the Bush Administration has not yet finished enriching it's family and friends,.. the Murtha resolution must realize a quick death. Enter Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) Ohio ,... et al.

Video Link : House floor fight to kill the Murtha resolution

I wonder if Jean Schmidt really thinks she was elected legitimately. From her utter lack of humility in everything she says and does, I suspect she doesn't even know what went on behind the scenes.