Public (Open Source) Election Systems

The problem is that we cannot look at the hidden software from Diebold, Sequoia, Dominion, Hart or ES&S. We can’t know what it’s doing. Disclosed source means that the anybody can read the source code. By making the source code running the election computers public, there is less risk that insiders can manipulate it to their advantage. Open source usually means that anybody can read it, change it, and/or sell it. This reduces abusive vendor control of the counties because they can then go elsewhere for maintenance and support. Public source code is not a panacea. The code throughout the entire computer system is far too complex, and insiders can manipulate it in amazing ways. And it too can be hacked (eg: the Heartbleed bug). We must be able to audit everything.

Why Open Source?

• The public has the absolute right to know how their votes are being counted. Nobody, and no machine, should be counting votes in secret.
• Provided that it’s done rwell, open source software is more secure, because
  • the engineers know that the code is public, so it is risky to insert “backdoors”, “trojan horses” or “easter eggs”. “Security through obscurity” does not work. Exposing the source code is our best defense against sneaky programmers.
  • many more engineers will be looking at the software, and spotting the bugs.
• The public can finally get access to databases, logs, ballot definition files, ballot pictures, etc. because they are no longer “proprietary”.
• We will finally be able to find out who is actually programming our election systems. This is important.
• The software is free, saving taxpayers millions.
• Profit-seeking vendors do not have taxpayers locked in (addicted) to outrageously expensive upgrades and service contracts.
• The open source systems that I have seen use standard computers that
  • are cheaper that fancy custom-designed machines
  • can be used in schools, libraries or government offices in between elections, saving, among other things, heavy storage costs.
• Here is an extensive review by the Calif SoS of the open source situation in 2006: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/open-source-software-voting-systems/

San Francisco’s Public Election System (Open Source)

• San Francisco County is starting an open source project.
• The SF Elections Commission has created a Technical Advisory Committee. These are talented people meeting regularly to create a set of recommendations for the new system. The web page is HERE. Their current recommendations are HERE
• We will want to encourage the legislature to provide financial support to this project, as it will benefit everybody!
• The California Clean Money Campaign has joined the push to support the San Francisco project! Clean Money Coalition for Open Source Paper Ballot Voting Systems (Facebook)
• The “Slalom Report”, an “Open Source Voting System Feasibility Assessment” became public in March, 2018. To this observer, some of the cost estimates are too high. (3/18)
• The project in Travis County, TX, STAR-Vote system has stalled. LA has said that it’s system will not be open source. This leaves San Francisco as the only remaining viable open source project in the country.
• An Open Source Voting Systems Resolution adopted by the San Francisco Elections Commission (11/15)

Other “Open Source” Systems

• Free & Fair (Galois, Dr. Joe Kiniry)
  • DARPA Is Building a $10 Million, Open Source, Secure Voting System (3/19)
    “Kiniry said Galois will design two basic voting machine types. The first will be a ballot-marking device that uses a touch-screen for voters to make their selections. That system won’t tabulate votes. Instead it will print out a paper ballot marked with the voter’s choices, so voters can review them before depositing them into an optical-scan machine that tabulates the votes. Galois will bring this system to Def Con this year.”
    “Kiniry said they’re aiming to design their system without barcodes.”
    “The second system Galois plans to build is an optical-scan system that reads paper ballots marked by voters by hand. They’ll bring that system to Def Con next year.”
  • Free & Fair Home Page (2017)
  • Free & Fair Source Code page (2017)
  • Galois Response To RFI 1508.pdf (8/15)
  • Galois Response To SF EC 1510.pdf (10/15)
• Open Source Election Technology Foundation, OSETFoundation.org
  • TrustTheVote.org
  • OSET Response To SF EC 1510.pdf (10/15)
  • OSET Response To SF RFI 1508.pdf (8/15)
• Voting Works, Dr. Ben Adida
  • I first learned about this system in March, 2019. It’s in very early stages, but Dr. Adida is a highly competent and recognized computer scientist.
  • He has already built an Internet Voting System, Helios, which he is on record as saying should NOT be used in government elections.
• Los Angeles County
  • The author has learned from Mr. Dean Logan, Los Angeles registrar, that at best, the tabulator and voting station software will be disclosed source, not open source, and at a time yet to be determined. (3/18)
  • As of this date, I am not aware of ANY Internet url that leads to open source code from LA. No url means no open source. The rest is vaporware. (3/19)
  • About: Pursuing a Voter-Centered System Design
  • Project Overview
  • Voting System Design Concepts
  • Request for Information & Resource Library (4/17)
  • Request for Information – PDF (4/17)
  • VSAP Tutorial Video (Official, 11/15, 1 min)
  • LA Voting System Prototype Video (Mimi Kennedy, 8/16, 9 mins)
  • Ideo_Response_To_SF_RFI_1508.pdf (8/15)
• STAR-Vote, Travis County (Austin) Texas
  • Note: The STAR-Vote project has stalled (12/17)
  • Travis County Clerk’s Elections Division
  • STAR-Vote RFI (6/15)
  • STAR Voting System Diagram (9/13)
  • STAR-Vote presentation at USENIX conference (8/13)
  • A snapshot of Travis County’s RFP materials (4/17)
  • A demonstration prototype of STAR-Vote by Free and Fair
• Other systems (Free and Fair: Archive)
  • Evoting Systems Source Code