Testimony Released on Electronic Voting Machines
"Election officials, computer security experts, citizen advocacy groups, and others have raised significant concerns about the security and reliability of electronic voting systems."
The U.S. Government Accountability Office yesterday released a transcript of testimony on electronic voting machines. Titled All Levels of Government Are Needed to Address Electronic Voting System Challenges -- by Randolph C. Hite, director of information technology architecture and systems -- said, in part: "The integrity of voting systems -- which is but one variable in a successful election process equation -- depends on effective system life cycle management, which includes systems definition, development, acquisition, operations, testing and management. It also depends on measuring actual voting system performance in terms of security, reliability, ease of use and cost effectiveness, so that any needed corrective actions can be taken. Unless voting systems are properly managed throughout their life cycle, this one facet of the election process can significantly undermine the integrity of the whole.
"Election officials, computer security experts, citizen advocacy groups, and others have raised significant concerns about the security and reliability of electronic voting systems," continued Hite, "citing vague or incomplete standards, weak security controls, system design flaws, incorrect system configuration, poor security management and inadequate security testing, among other issues. Many of these security and reliability concerns are legitimate and thus merit the combined and focused attention of federal, state, and local authorities responsible for election administration."
