EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Ian S. Piper
Organization : | Diebold Election Systems, Inc.
Post Date : | 9/29/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.7.5
Page no. : | 31
Line no.: | 19
Comment : | In the requirement, the language "All information transmitted via wireless communications shall be encrypted and authenticated," could be interpreted to apply to the communication of infra-red paper out sensors, which only provides either a high or low switch signal using an infra-red transmitter and receiver pair. Opto-isolators circuits could also be interpreted to be wireless devices in a broad sense, but then this requirement is broadly stated by using the term "All information". To encrypt and authenticate the high/low single bit switch information of an infrared sensor used in this manner is impractical. If the transmitter/receiver pair are in close proximity to one another (less than an inch) and shielded, which they usually are to prevent extraneous infra-red sources from affecting their operation, then they should be allowed to generate their single bit information without encryption or authentication. The intent of this requirement appears to be related to the transmission and reception of voting data, that is, data related to ballot information, etc. If a qualifier of the 'information' was inserted into this requirement, it would be more applicable to its intent. Proposed change: Add the words "voting data" between the words "All information", so that the requirement reads as follows, "All voting data information transmitted..."