Voting System FAQs
Answers You Need
How is it Secured?
The software and hardware are secured by being Open Source.
Each Ballot and each Ballot record includes the software versions and hash.
This allows for full auditing of the system by anyone.
The Ballot Marking Device and the Ballot Scanning Device lack physical networking capability.
No physical ethernet, no wireless networking, no bluetooth....nothing.
The Ballot Tally and Upload Device does possess networking ability.
However, even in the event of a data stream compromise...there are physical A Ballots with the Election Commission and, more importantly, you...the Voter...retain a notarized copy (your 'B' Ballot) that contains all the data of the A Ballot and what's digitally recorded. This allows you to verify the vote via the Online Portal and compare it against 4 data copies. Ensuring that your vote is counted the way you intended it to be.
What parts are Open Source?
Everything that is possible to be Open Source.
For the first generation voting system, the following is Open Source:
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Device Operating System
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Device Firmware
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Voting System Software (all components to manage the election, count votes, etc..)
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Device Hardware
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Electrical Schematics
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PCB Board Data (Gerber files, etc.)
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Mechanical CAD Data (chassis, etc)
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There are some components that currently are not Open Source.
For the first generation voting system, the following is not Open Source:
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The Texas Instruments AM5728 Processor itself
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The scanner processors and hardware
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Other required microcontrollers (such as LCD controllers, etc.)
Our long term goal is to work towards integrating and using as many Open Source components as possible.
While the Open Source community is making huge strides in Processor and Microcontroller development...there is still a long ways to go to match commercially available solutions. Hardware development is just more capital intensive than Software development.
Is there network access on the voting devices?
There is no physical network support on the Ballot Marking Device or Ballot Scanning Device.
There is network support on the Ballot Tally and Upload Device.