[LINK] AEC faces backlash over vote counting ‘black box’

[Brendan]

On 07/20/2016 12:24 PM, Sam Silvester wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 20, 2016 at 11:48 AM, Brendan <brendansweb at optusnet.com.au>
> wrote:
>
>> On 07/20/2016 11:54 AM, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>>
>>> AEC faces backlash over vote counting ‘black box’
>>> George Lekakis
>>>
>>> http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/election-2016/2016/07/19/aec-backlash-vote-counting/
>>>
>>
>> However, computer experts claim that the digital counting process cannot
>>> be fully observed by the scrutineers of candidates because the AEC
>>> refuses to disclose the source code of the automated system.
>>>
>>
>> The lack of the ability to scrutinize electronic ballots is their major,
>> and I would hope fatal, flaw (not so in America, where they don't seem to
>> care about properly verifying the electoral process). I don't see that
>> access to source code helps the issue.
>>
>
> To be honest, I just don't see how it's possible to trust that there isn't
> a fencepost error or the like in the preference distribution software
> without the ability to scruitinise the process (hence, source code).
>
> There's reviews conducted after each election where process issues are
> discussed and improvements made - how would one even go about knowing
> there's an issue to investigate if it's all closed?

To properly scrutinise it you'd also need to verify the operation of the/each machine - what software was, in fact, loaded onto it, what did that software do. Has the machine been compromised etc. Seems to me that vote stuffing would be easier on a machine than a scrutinised ballot box.