Sidebar: Election Officials' Checklist

By Dan Verton

October 18, 2004 12:00 PM ET

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Computerworld - The following measures will help ensure the security of e-voting, say DecisionSmith's Eric Lazarus and SystemExperts' Jonathan Gossels:

All machines should be tested using automatic self-test scripts executed on the machines.

Audio and other accessibility interfaces should be tested.

All ballot positions should be tested in all languages.

Intensive hand testing should be conducted simulating Election Day on at least 2% of machines, using test scripts that include casting votes for every candidate on ballots of every style.

Audit logs from voting machines and election management systems should be inspected to reconcile the number of ballots cast with the votes reported.

Records of the chain of custody for voting machines, blank ballots, voted ballots and physical copies of electronic records, including seal numbers and who had custody, must be routinely subject to postelection audit.

Different machines must have their own cryptographic keys and passwords.

Votes and vote totals sent by modem should be cryptographically signed to prevent alteration or forgery.

At least two poll workers from opposing parties must accompany electronic or paper ballots to the counting facility.

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