Commenter “Cautious Voter” posted the following under the Huntley voting machine malfunction machine story:

I wonder how many of the people who post on this blog have a background in computer programming and network security?

I do.

What Bev Harris has posted on her website http://blackboxvoting.org/
AND
the work of Sharon Meroni displayed on her site http://defendthevote.com/
is factual.

Anything that is run by a program (voting machines) is subject to the logic inserted into the program.

Let me clarify that I am not worried about voter id because the law states that if you say are a citizen, you are and an id can be purchased for less than fifty dollars.

The signature comparison process in place in this state is quite adequate.

I am worried about the software used by our election machines and the practice of transmitting election counts via telephone or even a so-called ‘secure network’ which is subject to third party interference.

There is only one way to secure a computer – put it in a locked room with no access to Wi-fi or any other communication network and write the code yourself!!

The machines used in McHenry County for the paper ballot (machine sits on top of a ‘black box’ which collects the ballots as they are inserted) are ‘tested’ by County election officials by inserting a ‘test pack’ of ballots.

I have been told that those ‘test packs’ are created by Clarity Elections.

If that is so, does anyone ‘audit’ the content of the ‘test pack’?

How are the Touch Screen machines used in Early voting and to some extent on election day tested? I do not know.

I do know what has been documented by Bev Harris and by Sharon Meroni (two patriots who simply want honest and open elections- one a liberal, the other a conservative) is true.

We must DEMAND independent citizen presence (citizens who understand how computers work) when the 5 percent audit of the machines is conducted after the election.

The audit MUST consist of hand counts of the ballots counted by the Opti-scan machines and a hand count of the tape printed by the Touchscreen computers.

We must demand a FULL documented audit trail relative to ‘custody’ of all of the paper ballots (before and after the election) and a documented ‘custody’ audit trail of the paper tapes generated by the Touchscreen computers.

We must demand a full audit of all of the POLL BOOKS to ensure that all voter assistance is correctly documented and that the number of ballots cast are confirmed with such an audit.

Lastly, everyone must come to grips with the fact that voter lists will never be completely up to date. They will contain the names of dead people and duplicates of people who have moved.

Complaining about voter list inaccuracy and voter id requirements are a diversion from the real problem: MACHINE CONTROLLED VOTING.

I compare anyone who tells you that voter lists can be kept up to date 100 % to Jack Franks who promises you a ten percent property tax cut.