Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
easycount.mjec.net
Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
1–10 of 100 posts
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#2Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#3http://www.zdnet.com/au/senate-calls-for-release-of-aec-vote... http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/vexatio...
The Electoral Commission has since refused to comply with the Senate order to release the source code: http://lee-rhiannon.greensmps.org.au/sites/default/files/ron...
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#4Thats appalling.
As an Australian citizen, who should I call about this to voice my objection?
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#5Thats appalling. As an Australian citizen, who should I call about this to voice my objection?
That's a trade secret.
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#6Thats appalling. As an Australian citizen, who should I call about this to voice my objection?
The process is proceeding as it should regardless. Anyone is able to put in a GIPA request, and they are allowed to refuse the information. As stated in the post an appeal of that decision is underway.
We need to start caring if the appeal is also refused.
Edit: GIPA is the NSW equivalent: http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/privacy/gipa_act.html
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#7Thats appalling. As an Australian citizen, who should I call about this to voice my objection?
As a fellow Australian citizen, I would also like to know this.
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#8Visibility of the source code is a side-show in electronic voting systems. Even if the source code is published, there is no way to be sure that that is the code that is running on the hardware, or to be certain that the hardware itself has not been tampered with. Votes need to be printed out on paper, verified by the voter, and counted by hand.
Still, when we had the source code for the Irish system (now abandoned due to our efforts) analyzed by a commission, it was found it had actual counting errors.
http://www.stdlib.net/~colmmacc/www.cev.ie/htm/report/part4_...
Amazing!
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#9http://www.zdnet.com/au/senate-calls-for-release-of-aec-vote... http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/it-pro/government-it/vexatio...
The Electoral Commission has since refused to comply with the Senate order to release the source code: http://lee-rhiannon.greensmps.org.au/sites/default/files/ron...
"I am advised that publication of the software could leave the voting system open to hacking or manipulation".
Well, if the problems are there, opening up the source to more eyes strikes me as the obvious thing to do; or should those with the knowledge of how to manipulate it as it stands be kept to the bare minimum? :)
But in any case, at least the meat of the implementation of the algorithm should be OK to release I would've thought - surely that isn't someone's intellectual property?
This is software we paid for and strikes me as pretty important to the democratic process, I'd like to have a bit of a look at it.
Re: Software used to count Australian Senate votes is a “trade secret”
#10Visibility of the source code is a side-show in electronic voting systems. Even if the source code is published, there is no way to be sure that that is the code that is running on the hardware, or to be certain that the hardware itself has not been tampered with. Votes need to be printed out on paper, verified by the voter, and counted by hand. Still, when we had the source code for the Irish system (now abandoned d…
The Australian software is not used for recording votes. It's used to assist the counting of physical ballot papers because the Senate vote counting system is extremely complicated. In this environment it's more straightforward to ensure the integrity of the software (as long as it's open and verifiable of course)