International election monitors have observed a number of high-profile, highly suspect victories over the past few years: Hamid Karzai’s in 2009, Alexander Lukashenko’s in 2010, Vladimir Putin’s earlier this month. Observers have flagged ballot inconsistencies and missing vote totals and voter intimidation. But hardly anyone seems deterred. “It’s very hard to conduct free and fair elections in a new democracy, even in old democracies,” said James Long, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, San Diego. “This is kind of curious because for 20 years, elections ... Read More
Voting Technology Research Gets In-Depth
August 6, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
As head of the Voter Technology Research Center at the University of Connecticut, professor Alexander Shvartsman directs a team of computer scientists granted special access to the optical scanners used to count the state's paper ballots. Connecticut uses the Accuvote optical scanner by Premier Election Solutions — now Election Systems & Software — along with about 20 percent of all precincts in America. Despite certification in numerous states, it wasn't until after the scanners were on the market that widespread reports of memory loss and other problems surfaced over the past four ... Read More
