AttorneyGeneralStumboIssuesInvestigativeReportonKentucky’sElectronicVotingSystems

PressReleaseDate:  Tuesday,September18,2007  ContactInformation:  CoreyBellamy,502-696-5643Office 

AttorneyGeneralGregStumbotodaypresentedhisinvestigativereporttotheStateBoardofElectionsandSecretaryofStateTreyGraysoncallingforimprovedtestingandsecurityupgradesforKentucky’selectronicvotingsystems.

Thereport’skeyfindingsincludethefollowing:

• Cooperationbetweenstateofficialsisessentialtorestorepublicconfidenceinvotingsystems.
• Kentucky’selectronicvotingsystemssufferfromserioussecurityvulnerabilities,accordingtoindependentresearchersinFloridaandCalifornia.
• Kentucky’stestingandcertificationprocessprovidesnomeaningfulsecurityreview.
• JeffersonCounty’sunauthorizeduseofnon-certifiedvotingmachinesresultedfromfailedstateoversight.

http://tinyurl.com/29kpw6clickheretoviewtheinvestigativereport.

http://tinyurl.com/2qwdg5clickheretoviewtheinvestigativereportappendices.

Stumbo’sreportrecommendsthatKentuckyimmediatelyupgradeitselectronicvotingmachineswiththelatestsoftwarepatchesandsecurityimprovements.

“KentuckyvotersdeservethesamepromptcorrectiveactionasvotersinCaliforniaandFloridahavereceived,”AttorneyGeneralStumbosaid. “Thesecurityflawsinourvotingsystemspotentiallycompromisetheintegrityandsecrecyoftheballot. Wemustallworktogethertoeliminatethisthreat.”

TheinvestigativereportalsoshedsnewlightonwhyJeffersonCountyvotersusedanuncertifiedvotingsysteminthelastthreeelections. ThereportfindsthatSecretaryofStateGraysonfailedtofollowhisownprocedurestopreventtheuseofuncertifiedmachines.

TheAttorneyGeneral’sreportcomesonedayaftertheStateBoardofElectionsreexaminedseveralvotingsystemsattheAttorneyGeneral’srequest. TheAttorneyGeneralobservedthenewexaminationwiththeaidofanelectronicvotingsystemexpertwhowillmakefurtherrecommendationsforimprovingKentucky’svotingequipment. StumbotoldtheStateBoardofElectionsthatitwouldhavehisexpert’sreportinabouttendays.

Inarelateddevelopment,AttorneyGeneralStumbonotifiedSecretaryofStateGraysonthatyesterday’sattemptedreexaminationofJeffersonCounty’suncertifiedvotingsystemfailedbecausethewrongmachinewassubmittedforreview. JeffersonCountystillfacesuseofanuntestedvotingsystemduetothisfailure,accordingtotheletterfromtheAttorneyGeneral.

http://tinyurl.com/223e72clickheretoviewthelettertoSecretaryofStateGrayson.