EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | H. Stephen Berger
Organization : | N/A
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.7
Page no. : |
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Comment : | The draft VVSG guards against the possibility of tampering by . The requirements providing these protections are contained in: 6.7.2 Controlling Usage 6.7.3 Identifying Usage 6.7.10 Authentication...The controlled and limited use of wireless is a critical element. Few argue for the advisability of active wireless links during the voting process for transmitting voting data. The consensus seems to be to restricting wireless to pre and post election functions and if used at all during elections, then only for ancillary functions. The question then becomes, “Can an election official forbid the use of wireless from the opening of the polls to the closing of the polls and know that this restriction is observed?” A critical element is contained in Section 6.7.3.2 of the VVSG: 6.7.3.2 If a voting system provides wireless communications capabilities, then there shall be an indication that allows one to determine when the wireless communications (e.g., radio frequencies) capability is active. 6.7.3.3 The indication should be visual. The test for these requirements will be critical. How reliable is the required indication? This requirement could be very robust or relatively ineffective. A robust implementation may place the indicator on the power provided to the wireless circuitry. If the wireless circuitry receives power then the indicator will be active. In this implementation the indicator will only be inactive if there is no power to the wireless circuitry. The requirement contained in Section 6.7.3.2 could be rewritten in this more stringent manner. Even more critical will be the test or evaluation used to judge compliance. At a minimum the evaluation of compliance should preclude indicators that can be surreptitiously manipulated with relative ease. A robust requirement and evaluation will give confidence that the use of wireless is under the control of election officials. [Statements submitted at EAC public hearing, July 28, 2005, Pasadena]