Online poll rigging Risks Digest 23.13

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 07:58:42 -0500
From: "Keith C. Ivey" <kcivey () cpcug org>
Subject: Online poll rigging

The Senate Republican Conference has a Web poll on its front page about the
capture of Saddam Hussein.  Apparently the results weren't turning out the
way they like (what a surprise for a Web poll!), so they changed the form to
switch the way two answers are recorded.  Now if you choose the 1st choice,
it's recorded as the 2nd, and vice versa.  But there's no feedback to let you
know it's happening.  The change has been confirmed by checking Google's
cache of the page.  Here's the story:
  http://atrios.blogspot.com/2004_01_11_atrios_archive.html#107414565730750569

If politicians are willing to tamper with something as insignificant as a
Web poll, how much more tempting is it to tamper with the results of a real
election?

Keith C. Ivey, Washington, DC <kcivey () cpcug org>

  [Added note: There was something very similar in November 2003
  on Bill Frist's Senate site, too:
    http://reason.com/hitandrun/003421.shtml
  KCI]

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/