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The mere fact that the source for these machines is not available for public scrutiny is a pretty clear indication that voting machines threaten the democratic process.

I wonder if anyone has tried to use FOI laws to gain access to the code, and if so, how much of it was redacted?

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Having the source code wouldn't be much of an assurance. How do you know that this code is really the code that is deployed on the machine during the elections? How do you know that the memory cards that store the votes are not tampered with? How do you know that the machine's hardware works "as advertized"?

Without a paper trail, we should assume every voting mechanism is rigged. The stakes are just too high to do otherwise.

My understanding was that what has been tested (and ruled on) in court is whether the code comprises a trade secret, and whether as a trade secret the code should be disclosed.

I still don't get what's wrong with the mkI pencil and ballot paper!

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