[LINK] It's polling day, so click away

[Chirgwin, Richard]

The Oz reports just two concerns cited by the AEC:
>"Any e-voting system has to be a balance between 
>security - ensuring each voter is who they say they 
>are - and secrecy - the confidentiality of everyone's 
>vote," Mr Hallett said. 

A few others:
a) Can the system be confirmed >by the citizen< to be secure and robust?
(The ballot process must be comprehensible to any voter, not just
specialists).

b) Are votes open to the same post-poll scrutiny without specialist
expertise?

c) Can the voter be certain that the vote recorded is the vote intended?

d) Can the voter request a recast of a vote cast in error? (ie, is there a
process analogous to replacing a 'spoiled' ballot?)

e) Will the relationship between ballot process and ballot technology be
subject to public scrutiny beforehand?

f) Can the anonymity of the voter be guaranteed?

I might remark that having read the whole article, the AEC is not looking at
the level of e-voting Selina Mitchell gives us in the opening paragraph.
Compare these:
> AUSTRALIANS could be voting for their next federal government over the
> internet.
[snip]
>However, the trial would probably be in the form of an 
>electronic postal-vote option, he said. 

Richard Chirgwin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bernard Robertson-Dunn [mailto:brd@austarmetro.com.au]
> Sent: Tuesday, 15 October 2002 09:27
> To: Link
> Subject: [LINK] It's polling day, so click away
> 
> 
> It's polling day, so click away
> Selina Mitchell
> OCTOBER 15, 2002
> The Australian
> http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5286396%5E1530
> 6%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html
>  
> AUSTRALIANS could be voting for their next federal government over the
> internet.
> 
> The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) wants to test 
> online voting at
> the next national government election, due in 2004 or 2005. 
> It will be the
> first time electronic voting has been offered for a national 
> parliamentary
> election in Australia.
> 
> The ACT government successfully piloted electronic voting at its last
> Legislative Assembly election, but decided against allowing 
> an internet
> ballot for security reasons.
> 
> The AEC will need government approval for any national trial.
> 
> However, later this year it planned to test the security and 
> infrastructure
> required for such a vote during a government agency certified 
> ballot, a
> spokesman said.
> 
> ...
> 
> -- 
> Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.
> -- Chinese proverb
> 
> Regards
> brd
> 
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn
> Canberra Australia
> brd@austarmetro.com.au
> ----------
> For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/
> 
----------
For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/