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Electronic voting too flawed, unreliable for use
C0rk Board
By: Paul Corkery
Issue date: 10/8/04 Section: Sci-Tech
Originally published: 10/8/04 at 1:10 AM EST
Last update: 10/8/04 at 12:12 PM EST
Originally published: 10/8/04 at 1:10 AM EST
Last update: 10/8/04 at 12:12 PM EST
The concerns surrounding e-voting has led the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to publish a "best practices" tool kit to assist local election commissions in collecting fair and safe votes. Concerned citizens are already insisting that many of these "best practices" be implemented as standard for all e-voting systems.
The largest area of debate is over the need for a paper trail. Organizations such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) have insisted that despite the advanced processing power of e-voting machines, all should be able to print a receipt for each voter once he or she has cast their vote.
By issuing this receipt, the voter can then check to ensure that their vote was recorded correctly, thus creating a verifiable paper trail.
Governor Schwarzenegger has recently signed legislation requiring that all e-voting machines be retrofitted with mechanisms that will print a receipt for voters. The deadline for this compliance, however, is not until 2006.
Ireland's recent consideration of a nationwide e-voting system was rejected because of concerns along these lines. The Independent Commission on Electronic Voting in Ireland said that the software used in the machines was not certifiably accurate, and the absence of any paper trail was of great concern. As a result, the Irish will not see e-voting anytime soon.
When it comes to voting through a touch screen computer, there are other concerns to be addressed. There is no guarantee that voters will understand how to use the new voting system, especially those not accustomed to using computers. My grandfather cannot order a Wawa hoagie using the new computerized touch screens, which I find simple and convenient as a work isolate myself from any and all human interaction. What are the chances of my grandfather figuring out an e-voting system? I don't need to tell you that his and Florida's senior population's chances are slim.
To prevent any possible miscasting due to user inexperience, the EAC has insisted that all precincts give their voters a choice when it comes to the method they use to cast their vote. The problem is not solved so quickly, however; some of the old means of voting may appear just as arcane and confusing as the modern means. One can only hope that the system of chad punching in Florida has been updated.
The largest area of debate is over the need for a paper trail. Organizations such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) have insisted that despite the advanced processing power of e-voting machines, all should be able to print a receipt for each voter once he or she has cast their vote.
By issuing this receipt, the voter can then check to ensure that their vote was recorded correctly, thus creating a verifiable paper trail.
Governor Schwarzenegger has recently signed legislation requiring that all e-voting machines be retrofitted with mechanisms that will print a receipt for voters. The deadline for this compliance, however, is not until 2006.
Ireland's recent consideration of a nationwide e-voting system was rejected because of concerns along these lines. The Independent Commission on Electronic Voting in Ireland said that the software used in the machines was not certifiably accurate, and the absence of any paper trail was of great concern. As a result, the Irish will not see e-voting anytime soon.
When it comes to voting through a touch screen computer, there are other concerns to be addressed. There is no guarantee that voters will understand how to use the new voting system, especially those not accustomed to using computers. My grandfather cannot order a Wawa hoagie using the new computerized touch screens, which I find simple and convenient as a work isolate myself from any and all human interaction. What are the chances of my grandfather figuring out an e-voting system? I don't need to tell you that his and Florida's senior population's chances are slim.
To prevent any possible miscasting due to user inexperience, the EAC has insisted that all precincts give their voters a choice when it comes to the method they use to cast their vote. The problem is not solved so quickly, however; some of the old means of voting may appear just as arcane and confusing as the modern means. One can only hope that the system of chad punching in Florida has been updated.
