EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | David B. Aragon
Organization : | N/A
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 6.7.3.3
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Comment : | Required Visual Indicators Are Permitted To Be Useless These sections require indicators of wireless connectivity: 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. No protection is provided by these requirements. Most wireless NICs meet them, yet without achieving the purpose of this section. A typical wireless interface (NIC) provides an LED that blinks when connectivity is established. This is a visual indication of the wireless capability being active. It suits the purposes of the typical user, who wants it to be active and is looking to see whether it is active. It does not suit the purposes of a user who is across the room assisting voters in signing a register, who isn't thinking about the wireless capability and who does not want it to be active at that time. Only a loud audible alann would suit that purpose, but §6.7.3.3 specifies a visual indication. §6.7.3.2 and §6.7.3.3 violate the requirement for transparency because no one can see whether the indicator is functioning correctly or not. Supposing the indicator failed or were intentionally disabled, the condition would look exactly like normal operation - i.e. no indication of wireless activity. For failure to look the same as normal operation is a usability defect.