Convened by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science
Main | Participants
1. DRE systems are perceived as vulnerable
to security threats but the analysis is rarely done in the context of
competing technologies. Like Churchill’s famous quote on democracy, electronic
voting is the worst kind of voting system except for all the others that
have been tried. A head-to-head analysis of security and performance
anomalies of all contemporary voting technologies would provide election
officials and the public with a contextual understanding of the inherent
risks of the various voting technologies. This analysis should include
all variations of optical scan technologies and tabulation methods, lever
machines, punch card, telephone voting, etc.
2. Parallel monitoring of elections is the
process of simulating an election as close to its real-world counterpart
as possible. What is needed are methodologies for the non-intrusive,
forensic analysis of election software and hardware at the precinct level
on Election Day, in election mode. Current approaches rely heavily on
simulation or disabling certain security features to accomplish the monitoring.
Methodologies would be both jurisdiction and vendor specific.
3. Organizations such as the Carter Center
are working on the development of a methodology for observing DRE-based
elections. Traditional approaches of election observation presume artifacts
and timetables that do not apply to DRE-based systems. Methodologies
that can be adapted to diverse jurisdictions and the skill levels of observers
and produce reliable work products are needed to improve the transparency
of election observing.
4. Contemporary voting systems are unified
collections of hundreds of programs and subsystems. Current certification
procedures can address only a portion of these subsystems and frequently
must do so through indirect methods. Election administrators need certification
procedures that enable the jurisdiction to verify all software used in
election technologies in their systems. Efforts at the NIST National
Software Reference Library project need to be supported by methods to
implement verification procedures at the individual device level.
5. Has the demand for professional competency
in election officials and administrators reached a level where academic
preparation for the career is warranted and justified? A model curriculum
in election science could guide universities in program development that
will eventually produce a generation of election administrators who are
adequately prepared to deal with the challenges of election law, election
technologies, project management, etc. Has election administration matured
to a point where it merits a distinct academic preparation?
6. Most technology communities create user
groups – an informal or semi-formal collection of users who share best
practices, voice common concerns to the vendor, and can act collectively
to influence product refinements and enhancements. The formation of user
groups would improve the implementation and maintenance of systems and
encourage vendors to improve customer support. User groups could be instrumental
as focus groups and data sources for researchers.
7. Case studies are effective teaching tools
that enable students to explore the real world issues associated with
the classroom theory. Case studies of election equipment vendors, their
business models and customer support practices, and election anomalies
in general, could provide valuable teaching materials to university faculty
as well as continuing education instructors.
| 
