Dr. Chaum has been working with using cryptology in the voting industry for many years. Although some of you have found fault with David's solution for various reasons, the great news is that a voting jurisdiction has taken the lead to try something new. Rather then retreat to “Is it certified?” or “how many other jurisdiction are using it?”, Maryland should be congratulated that it has the guts to try something new.
Open source is an element for future voting systems. But it requires a mechanism in place to ensure that the open source code reviewed is exactly the same code that is on the devices.
Selling votes is very very easy. I request an absentee ballet to be sent to me at home. In the evening I go to the Do Drop Inn and hold up my ballot. Let the auction begin. At work my boss calls me in to his office. Steve we have to let some people go soon. But if you let me help fill out your ballet, I may find a way to keep you on the payroll?. Of course this never ever happens!!!
Much of the source for the voting disenfranchisement is the result of a Catch 22 design of the 2002 and 2005 Election Assistance Commission Voluntary Voting Guidelines. The testing requirements were created to certify existing (or near term) technologies. Virtually no room in the requirements to create and innovate with technologies that come on line over the past 5 years.
The good news is the 2007 Voluntary Voting Guidelines ( http://www.eac.gov/vvsg ) does include a new classification named Innovative?. The guidelines will become more dynamic and can be changed to accommodate new technologies and ideas.
Of course you are free to complain or you could dive in and create new ways of moving the voting industry forward.
The Election Assistance Commission 2009 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines recommends that new voting devices be "software independent" and also use multiple processes that can tabulate the vote independently and later on be reconciled to affirm accuracy. Software independent means that ANY failure of the software will not change the results. This guideline applies to open and proprietary software.
We at PenVote.com have inverted the voting process by voting with a digital pen on paper and then verifying on screen the voter’s intent. Only after the voter confirms that their marks on the paper ballet match the on screen PDF of the ballot AND how those marks are tabulated does the voter press the cast ballot button. Three technologies with 3 separate chains of custodies. With over 17 months of testing completed we found that it is accurate and user friendly.
Unfortunately for the US it appears that the first major use of this voting solution will be in Europe and Latin America.
The new Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) Voluntary Voting System Guidelines has been undergoing a review for more than a year including a request for public comments. Visit http://www.eac.gov/vvsg if you want to review the 598 page document. These guidelines have numerous and significant changes that will change the voting process in years to come. Many of the current E-Voting devices would not survive the new usability tests required for certification. Paper and Pen would meet these new requirements.
The National Institute of Statistics and Technology provide the tech support to the EAC. There is also a technology advisory group that uses the NIST guidelines to provide industry guidance to the EAC.
I am amazed that any Board of Elections would not mandate open source. As a technologist for a new voting product, it took almost 3 seconds to conclude that our XP and Vista products must be made available as open source.
Steve
Note to editor: We will be a participate at Ohio's Board of Elections Winter event next week in Columbus, Ohio. Attendees will be able to register to vote, sign a pool book and vote using a pen and paper based system. ES&S, “Diebold (er...Premier”, Sequoia and Hart should all be there. This will be fun.
Below is a web response will use to identify who we are. A pilot project in the last election went well enough that a verbal commitment was given for a PO to expand the scope to include a “Super Center” in the Primary. Now if the Postal carrier could remember our address!!!
PenVote is our flagship voting product. It is a paper based voting system where voters make their selections with INK on paper. Unlike most optical scan system, we show voters how their marks were interpreted before they cast their vote, even allowing them to see a complete image of their ballot. All this is done with a flexible ballot system (we can do full ballot display, or even ballot books), and a robust and secure tabulation system.
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Another view
Dr. Chaum has been working with using cryptology in the voting industry for many years. Although some of you have found fault with David's solution for various reasons, the great news is that a voting jurisdiction has taken the lead to try something new. Rather then retreat to “Is it certified?” or “how many other jurisdiction are using it?”, Maryland should be congratulated that it has the guts to try something new.
Open source is an element for future voting systems. But it requires a mechanism in place to ensure that the open source code reviewed is exactly the same code that is on the devices.
Selling votes is very very easy. I request an absentee ballet to be sent to me at home. In the evening I go to the Do Drop Inn and hold up my ballot. Let the auction begin. At work my boss calls me in to his office. Steve we have to let some people go soon. But if you let me help fill out your ballet, I may find a way to keep you on the payroll?. Of course this never ever happens!!!
Much of the source for the voting disenfranchisement is the result of a Catch 22 design of the 2002 and 2005 Election Assistance Commission Voluntary Voting Guidelines. The testing requirements were created to certify existing (or near term) technologies. Virtually no room in the requirements to create and innovate with technologies that come on line over the past 5 years.
The good news is the 2007 Voluntary Voting Guidelines ( http://www.eac.gov/vvsg ) does include a new classification named Innovative?. The guidelines will become more dynamic and can be changed to accommodate new technologies and ideas.
Of course you are free to complain or you could dive in and create new ways of moving the voting industry forward.
The Election Assistance Commission 2009 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines
The Election Assistance Commission 2009 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines recommends that new voting devices be "software independent" and also use multiple processes that can tabulate the vote independently and later on be reconciled to affirm accuracy. Software independent means that ANY failure of the software will not change the results. This guideline applies to open and proprietary software.
We at PenVote.com have inverted the voting process by voting with a digital pen on paper and then verifying on screen the voter’s intent. Only after the voter confirms that their marks on the paper ballet match the on screen PDF of the ballot AND how those marks are tabulated does the voter press the cast ballot button. Three technologies with 3 separate chains of custodies. With over 17 months of testing completed we found that it is accurate and user friendly.
Unfortunately for the US it appears that the first major use of this voting solution will be in Europe and Latin America.
Re: E-voting is E-retarded
We at PenVote.com are addressing the issue. However interest so far is from Latin America, Asia and Europe.
E-Voting
The new Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) Voluntary Voting System Guidelines has been undergoing a review for more than a year including a request for public comments. Visit http://www.eac.gov/vvsg if you want to review the 598 page document. These guidelines have numerous and significant changes that will change the voting process in years to come. Many of the current E-Voting devices would not survive the new usability tests required for certification. Paper and Pen would meet these new requirements.
NIST
The National Institute of Statistics and Technology provide the tech support to the EAC. There is also a technology advisory group that uses the NIST guidelines to provide industry guidance to the EAC.
Open Source
I am amazed that any Board of Elections would not mandate open source. As a technologist for a new voting product, it took almost 3 seconds to conclude that our XP and Vista products must be made available as open source.
Steve
Note to editor: We will be a participate at Ohio's Board of Elections Winter event next week in Columbus, Ohio. Attendees will be able to register to vote, sign a pool book and vote using a pen and paper based system. ES&S, “Diebold (er...Premier”, Sequoia and Hart should all be there. This will be fun.
Below is a web response will use to identify who we are. A pilot project in the last election went well enough that a verbal commitment was given for a PO to expand the scope to include a “Super Center” in the Primary. Now if the Postal carrier could remember our address!!!
PenVote is our flagship voting product. It is a paper based voting system where voters make their selections with INK on paper. Unlike most optical scan system, we show voters how their marks were interpreted before they cast their vote, even allowing them to see a complete image of their ballot. All this is done with a flexible ballot system (we can do full ballot display, or even ballot books), and a robust and secure tabulation system.