I'm seeing a lot of media reports that are getting the basics wrong on the "SQL on voting machines" stuff. I am a professional software developer, so I'm in a position to help.

-- SQL - Short for "Structured Query Language." SQL is a basic standard language used for querying and modifying database data.

For example the following command: "SELECT Name, Age FROM Person" This command would get the Name and Age fields from the Person database table and list all the entries. You can also change data using SQL: "UPDATE Person SET Name = 'Q+'" would replace the data in the Name field for all entries in the table.

-- SQL Server - This is known as a Relational Database Management System. There are numerous RDBMS's out there; SQL Server is Microsoft's solution and is one of the most popular options. I personally use it every day. It comes in many different versions from very tiny and compact to very rich and full-featured.

The more compact versions could easily be installed on a basic computer such as that found on a voting machine. This is often done so that installed software can use it as a local cache of data pending transfer to/from a more centralized server. This provides many benefits in terms of performance and reliability.

-- SQL Server Management Studio - This is a tool put out by Microsoft. It helps the user to write SQL queries and execute them against a database. It CAN be used to modify that data, if the user has security permissions to do so. But by itself it's no more suspicious than finding, say, Excel installed on the computer.

So we need to be aware in our discussions - it is very understandable that you would find a compact version of SQL Server on a voting machine along with SSMS so that an admin could if needed dive in and troubleshoot the data held locally using SQL queries. In an honest system, there would be no problems with this.

Likewise, in the wrong hands SSMS can be used with devastating effect to alter and corrupt data. (Fellow geeks - that sinking feeling when you forget the WHERE clause in your update statement, amiright?)

That seems to be a common theme with Dominion software - an excellent and powerful system in the hands of honest and competent election officials, but which can be easily abused if you want to cheat.