[EL] The $45M Heist from NYC ATMs - Hall

[wjk]

Reply to Joe Hall’s comment, "David [Jefferson] speaks for an overwhelming consensus of the technical community with expertise in voting technology."* 
 
One of my main criticisms of the anti-Internet voting activists is that they are extraordinarily flippant about making assertions that appear to be empirically accurate, but which lack any factual basis. Joe gives us his personal assurances that “David speaks for an overwhelming consensus of the technical community with expertise in voting technology.”
 
Got facts, Joe?  I do. Over the past few years nearly 100 trials of Internet voting have been conducted w/o any reports of security breaches. These trials have been conducted all over the world. This includes: nearly a dozen cities in Canada; Cantons in Switzerland; Norway; New South Whales, Australia; Gujarat, the largest state in India; and, West Virginia in the 2010 primary and general election. Secretary of State Natalie Tennant continues to advocate for Internet voting (see 
http://www.govtech.com/e-government/Making-the-Case-for-Online-Voting.html)
 
In 2000, the US Department of Defense used Internet voting for some overseas military in a test of concept trial. In that year, the Republican Party in Alaska offered Internet voting for its Presidential Straw Poll, and the Democratic Party used it for its Primary. The Democratic Party used it in Michigan in 2004. SERVE had a big team of experts.
 
In each case of Internet voting, there has been a team of technical experts in voting technology working on the project.  That means scores of experts internationally. 
 
These professionals most assuredly do NOT share the views of Mr. Jefferson or of that fabricated “consensus of the technical community with expertise in voting technology.”  
 
Also, who does Joe include in his “technical community,” and what does Joe mean by “expertise in voting technology”?  I’ll bet a dime that none of the anti-Internet voting members of his “consensus” have actual experience constructing successful Internet voting systems, including Joe and Mr. Jefferson. Can academics with no hands on practical experience claim the same “expertise” as the technicians who have constructed successful systems? Or, are the former mere arm chair critics and Monday morning quarterbacks?
 
Much ado is made of a hack of the Internet voting system in Washington, DC in 2010. But that was not during an election.  It happened the first time the system was tested. It was not built by professionals with prior experience, but by amateurs trying their luck for the first time. Surly there are differences in levels of expertise.
 
Here is a testable hypothesis: the ones who have actually built successful Internet voting systems believe it can be done; while the ones w/o such experience are positive it can’t be done. 
 
William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.
Political Scientist, author, speaker,
CEO for The Internet Voting Research and Education Fund 
Email: Internetvoting at gmail.com 
Blog: http://tinyurl.com/IV4All 
Twitter: wjkno1
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/william-j-kelleher-ph-d/9/466/687/
 
Author of Internet Voting Now!  


*Message: 32
Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 14:10:25 -0400
From: Joseph Lorenzo Hall <joehall at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [EL] The $45M Hiest (sic) from NYC ATMs
To: David Jefferson <d_jefferson at yahoo.com>
Cc: "law-election at department-lists.uci.edu"
 
I'm not sure I need to say this but I will: David speaks for an
overwhelming consensus of the technical community with expertise in
voting technology. best, Joe
 
 


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