I've got a new piece up at the Examiner - on e-voting. They even spelled my name right this time!
Chad-free voting machines can be hacked.
Yes they can, in fact.
I'll have some more in the next week, including some suggestions. But the issue isn't just the machines - although they're a good indicator of the care that's (not) being taken with the whole system, from end to end.
What's required is a systems approach to voting - not looking at the links, but at the chain.
Thanks to Captain Ed, for picking up on this and the kind words.
For what it's worth, every election i've worked in (for fourteen years now), the precinct inspector took the sealed ballots home the night (or saturday) before the election and was responsible for delivering them to the polling place; that's an abusable system, too.
It's not clear to me if taking the voting machines home is worse.
I'll be going to a training class on eSlate machines, now in use in San Mateo County, this weekend; i'll drop a comment about it after.