EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | James Johnson
Organization : | N/A
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.7
Page no. : |
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Comment : | April 15, 2005 Executive Summary Comment on Wireless requirement The use of short range optical wireless, particularly on Election Day should not be allowed because: 1) It is impossible to ensure that only Election Officials will be able to communicate with voting systems using the optical link. 2) Slow Infrared (SIR) optical communications like other transmission media allow the exchange of software, data and control information at a relatively high data rate of 115,200 bits per second. 3) Because the communicating devices have no physical connection, and the radiation is invisible, it is impossible to determine in a election environment if there are unauthorized devices communicating with the voting system. 4) Even if the unauthorized device did not communicate with the voting systems, it would still be possible to “listen”, intercepting anything transmitted between authorized devices. 5) Anyone with an optical device operating on the same wavelength can interfere with the authorized optical transmissions. As a minimum this could be disruptive to the voting process. 6) Any IrDA device supporting the upper level protocols can easily communicate with the voting systems if the information is not encrypted. 7) The use of wireless (or any communications methods) on Election Day adds substantial additional risk that this communications path can be exploited to change the functioning of the voting equipment after Logic and Accuracy Test (LAT) are complete. 8) While safety issues with infrared are a topic of significant discussion, and one that warrants an in depth study if the technology is to be deployed in polling places, every day use of these devices have decreased awareness of the potential dangers they pose. The power levels should be strictly regulated if the technology is placed in public poling places.1 [Statements submitted to NIST Technical Guidelines Development Committee]