Thread by @LuluFriesdat

EAC having a meeting on the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines now. 5 - 8pm EST. eac.gov/media/video-pl…

They are in public comment period now until the end of May.

There is no video right now. Only audio.

Here's the video
eac.gov/media/video-pl…

An article on the connections between Brian Newby and Kris Kobach.
kansascity.com/opinion/opn-co…

"Key discussions was the recognition there's a large variety of stakeholders in elections. Election officials, election integrity advocates, manufacturers and developers, test labs, government agencies..."

...and it was important that we find a way to engage all stakeholders in constructive discussions to move forward. So they all have ownership in the VVSG." - Sharon Laskowski who is the lead on human factors working group at NIST

- The main problem with the process is that the vendors have been far too involved in creating their own regulations. The entire process has really been compromised. @EACgov #VVSG

The #VVSG 2.0 do not specifically prohibit direct record electronic (DRE) voting machines - although they are known to be very hackable. Some new iterations of voting machines are touchscreens & can operate as DRE's. @EACgov

These are the #VVSG 2.0 guidelines and principles. eac.gov/assets/1/6/TGD…

5:50pm - This is a real problem - Brian Newby just said that #accessibility takes priority over #ElectionSecurity. #VVSG @EACgov

Executive Director of the EAC Brian Newby said he is required to make a recommendation to @Eacgov on the #VVSG 2.0

Commissioner Hicks referring to people who were opposed to aspects of the #VVSG as trolls - as people trying to shut the process down.

QUESTION to @EACgov will #voting machines currently in use with poor #security be decertified under the #VVSG 2.0?

@philipbstark currently testifying - he says nothing currently in place that makes sure that the technical details will follow the principles and guidelines. #VVSG

Neal Kelley - registrar of voters for orange county - saying systems that meet #VVSG 2.0 will not hit the streets until 2023

#JimDixon now testifying. #Accessibility advocate with a history of taking funds from the voting machine vendor #Diebold.

#JimDixon attacking the phrase #SoftwareIndependence. This is an incredibly important principle that states 9.1 An error or fault in the voting system software or hardware cannot cause an undetectable change in election results.

#JimDixon allowed to testify despite clear conflicts of interest demonstrated by his acceptance of large amounts of money from the vendor #Diebold. He then spent his testimony attacking #HandMarkedPaperBallots the choice of the vast majority of #ElectionSecurity experts. @EACgov

Was spelling Dickson's name wrong. Here is an article about Diebold's contributions to the National Federation for the Blind and Jim Dickson's connection to that process. wired.com/2004/10/diebol… @EACgov #JimDickson @EACgov #VVSG 2.0 #HandMarkedPaperBallots

"He comes to states where he's not even registered to vote and he gives this very heartfelt testimony about how meaningful it is to vote independently," said Natalie Wormeli, an attorney in California who is blind.
wired.com/2004/10/diebol… #JimDickson @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

"But in his testimony he never says he's a professional spokesperson, he never says he's not a registered voter in the state, and he never discloses how he's getting paid." wired.com/2004/10/diebol… #JimDickson @EACgov #VVSG #Diebold #ConflictOfInterest #HandMarkedPaperBallots

@philipbstark clarifying that an audit that checks whether the outcome is correct is ESSENTIAL - and different from logic and accuracy testing. Most states do NOT currently test if the outcome is correct. A #RiskLImitingAudit is one way to do that. #RLA #VVSG @EACgov

@philipbstark saying voting machines should never have any type of modems/ internet connectivity. "The slight increase in speed that you might get from being able to connect a ballot marking device to the internet or a tabulating device to the internet just isn't worth the risk

@philipbstark "Having things like remote desktop software installed on tabulation devices should never happen." That means NO MODEMS in #votingmachines #ElectionSecurity @EACgov #VVSG

@philipbstark on #Barcodes on #ballots "for/audits & re-counts it should be the human readable printed on the ballot that's used. Because that's what the voter had the opportunity to check. The voter doesn't / have the ability to read the bar code with his/her brain @EACgov #VVSG

No computer security experts like @jhalderm @rad_atl @HarriHursti @mattblaze #AndrewAppel #DuncanBuell @kiniry @JoeBeOne have testified so far in the #VVSG 2.0 public hearing for @eac.gov But the vendors #ESS & @dominionvoting are now testifying. This is the crux of the problem!

ES&S spokesperson "I would venture to say most if not all of the current manufacturers voting systems arguably already comply with the 2.0 principles and guidelines." This is patently untrue @EACgov #VVSG most of the current systems are easily hackable.

ES&S spokesperson "We also feel strongly that the requirements in the associated test assertions/should have manufacturer participation in their creation & should be vetted and verified prior to their adoption." Do high school students write their on SAT questions? @EACgov

ES&S spokesperson "I urge you all to consider our history." Brilliant suggestion. Consider their history of these vendors bringing completely hackable machines to market for decades, as well as refusing to answer questions from Congress @RonWyden @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

ES&S spokesperson "We recommend the standards remain voluntary as their name implies and allow states to determine which standards are more appropriate for them at each point in time." How can voluntary guidelines ever truly be effective? @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

ES&S spokesperson - We need more certification labs - turns into a bottleneck. @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

But what we need are certification labs that are truly independent - not paid for or compromised by the vendors in any way - as well as full red hat hacker testing (penetration testing) @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

ES&S Spokesperson "Our voting systems are better today than they've ever been and they will continue to be better." Many of the new systems coming on the market continue to have serious security vulnerabilities The #VVSG 2.0 needs to address that. @EACgov

@dominionvoting & @essvote saying there are problems with the working groups - and that they need to take the vendors input more into consideration - The vendors are already - DOMINATING these groups. @EACgov #VVSG 2.0

Vendors complaining about scathing media stories. They have refused to answer questions from @RonWyden & Congress and to be transparent about their systems, but now saying, "We just respectfully request that groups that participate are factual, honest and professional." @EACgo

@essvote "WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER ...TO MASSAGE THESE REQUIREMENTS INTO GOOD REQUIREMENTS." @dominionvoting "I AGREE." @EACgov Do you not see a problem with manufacturers "massaging" their own requirements? #VVSG 2.0

@essvote "we have taken a very active role at the highest levels from a security standpoint / We're doing that every day right now and we're rising above the current standards." But security experts continue to say new machines have major security risks. @rad_atl @EACgov

@xpa Harvie Branscomb now testifying. Long time #ElectionSecurity activist. 1) Who will manage the requirements and modify them. 2) What to do when the guidelines are in conflict with each other? #VVSG

Andrew Riggle the disability public policy advocate asks the commissioners to consider options that allow disabled voters to use their own technology. #VVSG

@EAC.GOV