"We’re doing it wrong. We’ve structured our elections incorrectly — from the beginning — and naturally we’re having some very serious problems.."
New York elections are at a dangerous crossroads. New types of voting machines, called “all-in-one” and “universal-use”, are attempting to flood the state. After a four-year battle against it, a new All-in-One voting machine called the ExpressVote XL was approved on 8/2/23 by the NY State Board of Elections.
These systems do not allow you to vote with a pen and paper. They will radically change the way we vote. Experts say they will increase costs, and wait times, especially in communities of color. Experts say:elections conducted on these systems cannot be confirmed by audits.
The ExpressVote XL also wraps your vote in a barcode. The barcode is what's counted, not the text you see. There is no way for you to verify who you are voting for.
New Yorkers have been voting with either a pen and paper or a ballot-marking device for over 10 years. That system works. Voters can vote in the way that they prefer.
We are helping counties make informed technology decisions in this challenging time.
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We give you the full story about this voting machine, the timeline, and what you can do to help stop this trainwreck. Remember that New York Congressional elections helped determine the balance of power in the House in 2022. Join us - and get involved. It's urgent and it matters!
Aug. 4, 2023
Times Union Editorial Board
In a split decision, the state Board of Elections approves controversial voting machines. The
last thing we need right now is more doubt over election processes.
*****
"At a time when the very integrity of our elections is in doubt in
the minds of so many Americans, the state Board of Elections
made the mind-boggling decision to allow controversial voting
machines to be used in New York."
"It’s one thing to push a button when the only thing at stake is whether you get a burger or a fish sandwich. It’s quite another when the leadership of your community, your state or your nation is on the line. If even elections commissioners don’t have unanimous faith in this change, how can voters?"
Photo credit: Michael P. Farrell / Times Union archives
Aug 02, 2023
Daily News Editorial Board
Paper ballots are a must: The NYS Board of Elections must
reject the ES&S ExpressVote XL machine
*****
"At noon today, the two Democrats and two Republicans on the state Board of Elections will consider whether to approve the use of a new voting machine that harms the security and surety of elections. The board must say no to the ExpressVote XL, heavily pushed by its manufacturer, Election Systems & Software, looking to reap millions in peddling this contraption."
"Sorry, our democracy is not for sale, despite all the New York lobbyists and lawyers and schmoozers that ES&S has hired."
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A MESSAGE FROM RENOWNED ELECTION SECURITY EXPERT PROFESSOR J. ALEX HALDERMAN
"...we urge those working to debunk election conspiracy theories to carefully distinguish between claims that the 2020 U.S. election result was hacked—for which there is no evidence—and claims that U.S. elections have real vulnerabilities and face threats from sophisticated attackers—which is the consensus view of the National Academies. Failure to clearly maintain this distinction confuses the public, discredits anti-disinformation efforts, and makes it even more difficult to have important public conversations about vital election security reforms and to implement those reforms. Voters deserve better.
We’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news when trust in elections is already low, but the public needs accurate information about election security. Whether our findings ultimately strengthen or weaken public trust will depend on how responsible officials respond.
The most effective remedy for the problems we found and others like them is to rely less on BMDs [Ballot-Marking-Device]. The risk of attack is much lower when only a small fraction of voters use BMDs, as in most states, than when all in-person voters are forced to use them, as in Georgia. Where BMDs must be used, the risk of an undetected attack can be reduced by avoiding using barcodes to count votes. Officials can configure the ICX to print traditional-style ballots that do not use QR codes. This has the virtue of forcing an attacker to make changes that are (at least in principle) visible to voters. States should also implement rigorous risk-limiting audits of every major contest, which the National Academies has called on all states to do by 2028.
Our findings in Georgia demonstrate that elections face ongoing security risks that call for continued vigilance from policymakers, technologists, and the public. In light of these risks, the best way for officials to uphold voter confidence is to further improve security, not to deny that problems exist."
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New York elections are at a dangerous crossroads. New types of voting machines, called “all-in-one” and “universal-use”, are attempting to flood the state.
Both of these designs often use a computerized ATM-style voting machine that does not allow you to use a hand-marked paper ballot. On 8/2/23, the NY State Board of Elections approved an "All-inOne" voting machine called The ExpressVote XL. It encodes the vote in a barcode. Experts say that using barcodes to count votes makes it “impossible for the voter to verify who they voted for.”
Experts and good government groups say these machines will change New York’s entire way of voting, undermine confidence, and vastly increase costs, because the ExpressVote XL is one of the most expensive on the market. They warn of longer lines to vote, because they say that when everyone votes on a computerized ballot-marker … everyone waits longer.
You and groups you work with can join the coalition fighting to preserve our way of voting in New York.
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