Ireland to scrap e-voting plan
By Lucy Sherriff
Published Friday 30th April 2004 15:40 GMT
The Irish government is likely to call a stop to plans to introduce
electronic voting because they can't prove the system is reliable.
Prime minister Bertie Ahearn asked for an independent investigation
after opponents raised doubts over the reliability and accuracy of
the system. The Commission on Electronic Voting published its interim
report today, recommending that the government not implement the
system as it is since the constant updates to the software mean it
cannot be tested in time.
This is bound to be embarrassing for the prime minister: he has spent
over €40m on the scheme so far, including running pilot tests in
local elections two years ago and embarking on a publicity drive to
sell the idea to the voting public.
In its report, the Commission wrote that despite the many benefits of
electronic voting that the system can provide, the accuracy and
secrecy of the ballot are still in question. It says it has not been
able to test the system sufficiently for it to be used in forthcoming
elections.
Software testing is proving a contentious issue. The report states:
- as changes are made to the system, each new software version needs
to be reviewed and tested in full before it can be relied upon for
use in real elections,
- it has not been possible for the Commission to review the impact of
the changes made in successive versions of the software in time for
inclusion in this report,
- the fact that new versions of the software continue to be issued in
the run-up to the June elections is unsatisfactory
The commission identifed the key points that need to be addressed
before it can green-light the project. Most importantly, there must
be a final definitive version of the software and all related
hardware and software components; there then needs to be a full
independent review and testing of the final source code - further
modifications at this stage would mean the whole systems would need
retesting. It also called for the system to be tested in parellel
with a paper ballot, "including where possible in a live electoral
context".
However, the Commission was clear that it had not shown the e-voting
system would not work, just that it couldn't show that it would work.
It also acknowledeged that it was easier to find reasons to recommend
against implementing the system than to support it. ®
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