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List:       dmca-discuss
Subject:    [DMCA_Discuss] BIGWIN: California to Require Paper Voter Receipt
From:       "Jon O." <jono () microshaft ! org>
Date:       2003-11-22 20:07:14
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http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/03/11/22/1347209.shtml?tid=103&tid=126&tid=172&tid=99

"Wired reports that California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley will require all \
electronic voting systems be equipped with a voter-verifiable paper receipt. This \
receipt will not be retained by the voter, but deposited at the polls and may be used \
to audit electronic election results. All new voting system installed after July 1, \
2005 must include the new printers. Existing systems, including the systems already \
installed in four counties must be retrofitted by July 2006. It looks like the public \
outcry about Diebold and other voting equipment manufacturers has been heard, at \
least in a very major market for these machines in the US. It should be very \
difficult for other states to not follow suit." 



http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,61334,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

E-Votes Must Leave a Paper Trail 
SAN FRANCISCO -- California will become the first state requiring all electronic \
voting machines produce a voter-verifiable paper receipt. 

The requirement, announced Friday by California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, \
applies to all electronic voting systems already in use as well as those currently \
being purchased. The machines must be retrofitted with printers to produce a receipt \
by 2006.

With a receipt, voters will be able to verify that their ballots have been properly \
cast. However, they will not be allowed to keep the receipts, which will be stored at \
voting precincts and used for a recount if any voting irregularities arise. 

Beginning July 1, 2005, counties will not be able to purchase any machine that does \
not produce a paper trail. As of July 2006, all machines, no matter when they were \
purchased, must offer a voter-verifiable paper audit trail. This means machines \
currently in use by four counties in the state will have to be fitted with new \
printers to meet the requirement. 

"The schedule I have set forth for implementing a VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit \
Trail) will ensure that there is adequate time for new voting systems to be properly \
certified," Shelley said in a statement released by his office Friday afternoon. \
"This also allows time to train elections officials and poll workers and to educate \
voters." 

The statement continued, "As the state progresses with new technology, all \
Californians must have confidence that every vote cast is a vote counted. These new \
requirements will provide this confidence." 

The announcement follows the creation of a task force Shelley convened in February to \
discuss growing concerns about the security of electronic voting machines. 

The task force was composed of election officials, computer experts, members of the \
general public and representatives of the disabled community. The task force was \
divided between two factions: a vocal contingent that opposed a paper trail and a \
minority of computer and voting experts who supported the requirement. 

Proponents of a paper trail say the California decision is likely to influence other \
states that have been undecided about whether to require voter receipts. 

Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation and a member of Shelley's \
task force, predicted other states would follow California's lead. 

"I suspect there are many election officials across the country who have been \
watching this debate this year and waiting to see how things shake out," she said. \
"Shelley's actions will give them more room to stand up for what they believe in, and \
what I think most people believe in, which is the need for more transparent voting \
systems." 

Alexander said California will be the first state to require a voter paper trail for \
existing computerized voting machines. 

"There are a handful of states that have passed statutes or certification rules that \
prohibit the acquisition of paperless computerized voting machines in the future," \
she said. "But no state that already has computerized voting machines has implemented \
a paper audit trail requirement." 

According to the California Voter Foundation, 21 percent of the ballots cast \
nationwide in 2002 were on paperless electronic voting machines. That's double the \
amount in 2000. California currently has four counties using paperless electronic \
voting machines. That number is expected to increase to 10 in time for the March \
primary. 

Warren Slocum, elections chief for San Mateo County, called the announcement an \
"historic moment" and said he knew of at least six counties in the state that support \
the call for a paper trail. 

"Election integrity is absolutely a fundamental requirement of our democracy," he \
said. "And this is one step toward strengthening that and giving voters confidence \
that their vote was handled by the computer in the way they wanted it to be handled." \


In response to remarks made by other state election officials that a paper receipt \
would increase county costs, Slocum replied, "Democracy ain't cheap. It's true we \
have a fiscal crisis and it's going to cost money, but what is the cost of blowing an \
election? What's the cost to the community to have a candidate who believes they lost \
an election because they believe the computer didn't count the votes correctly?" 

Alfie Charles, a vice president of Sequoia Voting Systems, whose Edge touch-screen \
voting machines are currently used in Riverside County in Southern California, said \
the added printing capability would probably cost $500 per machine, since it would \
have to be custom manufactured. The Edge currently lists at $3,195. 

However, Charles said the price should come down as demand for the component \
increases. 

Avante International Technology was the first e-vote vendor to offer a verifiable \
paper trail with its Vote-Trakker machine. 

Charles said that Sequoia has also produced a voter-verifiable hardware and software \
component for its machines that it plans to submit for federal certification in early \
2004. He expects the component will be on the market by next summer. 

Opponents of a voter receipt have long argued that it would complicate the voting \
process by forcing poll workers to fix paper jams and change paper rolls in the \
middle of an election. 

However, Charles said the printing component designed for the Edge uses a roll of \
paper that scrolls behind a glass partition. Voters do not get to touch the receipt, \
but can view it to verify their votes. The fact that the machine does not cut \
individual receipts for voters, he said, saves paper. 

He also said that one roll of paper should be able to record the votes of up to 200 \
voters. Sequoia generally recommends voting precincts use one machine for every 150 \
to 170 voters. Since most precincts in California use five machines, the paper on \
them would accommodate up to 1,000 voters. 

If a machine runs out of paper, he said, Sequoia would recommend that poll workers \
remove the entire printer component and replace it with a new one so that workers do \
not need to touch the receipt roll. 

"This helps minimize the amount of paper handling that occurs and protects the \
integrity of the ballots and the election," Charles said. 

In addition to the voter receipt, Secretary of State Shelley called for the creation \
of a technical oversight committee as well as additional requirements for software \
testing and auditing and new security protocols for manufacturers. He also called for \
random field testing on election days to ensure that voting machines are functioning \
properly. 

Stanford computer science professor David Dill, who also served on Shelley's voting \
task force, said California's forward-thinking move should reverberate throughout the \
nation. "There's going to be a tidal wave emanating from California and heading east. \
California is historically a leader, especially when it comes to technology issues. 

"This breaks the vicious circle where the vendors say they're not producing printers \
because they say there's no demand for them," he added. "Now vendors are going to be \
required to produce these machines and everybody else (in other states) will be able \
to buy them, too." 


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