Got a text formatting/database question - the political backstory

[Jim March]

On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 8:13 AM, Bishmer Sekaran <bishmer at sekaran.net> wrote:
> Jim March wrote:
>> MS-Access is banned from voting
>> systems (ain't approved)
> This is a very refreshing change from the status quo! Out of curiousity,
> what are the approved DBs for voting systems?

You're asking the wrong question :).

ONLY those pieces of software specifically used for elections can be
used in elections, in most states anyhow, AZ being one of 'em.

The proprietary database front ends by Sequoia, Diebold and ES&S are
approved.  Sequoia uses an MS-SQL back end, Diebold uses the MS-Access
runtime back end (they're switching to MS-SQL on the back end "soon")
and I forget what ES&S is doing.  But it's basically the same:
proprietary front-end application, likely an MS back end.

In the case of Diebold, the MS-Access front end (the boxed consumer
product) can communicate with the existing back-end and back-door the
whole election.  By diddling with the data files (which are .MDB
extension) in MS-Access, you can tweak the audit log, tweak vote
totals, basically do whatever you want, no password needed, no audit
trail even created.

Total election anarchy.

So finding an MS-Access advanced programmer's manual as a reference
for the system operator on a Diebold central tabulator is like a cop
pulling somebody over and finding a ski mask, duct tape, crowbar and
AK47 in the back seat.  It doesn't absolutely prove trouble but it
ain't good news!

Jim