Online voting: a legal perspective

Online voting: a legal perspective jos.dumortier@law.kuleuven.ac.be www.law.kuleuven.ac.be/icri

CyberVote • Http://www.eucybervote.org • Part of the IST 1999 programme under the 5th Framework • 1/9/2000 – 31/3/2003 • Partners: EADS (FR) – BT (UK) – NOKIA (FI) – K.U. Leuven (BE) – Technical University of Eindhoven (NL) – Freie Hansestadt Bremen (DE) – Mairie d’Issey-les-Moulineaux (FR) – Kista Stadsdelsnämnd (SE)

Objectives of Cybervote • Demonstrating a secure cyber-voting prototype using mobile and fixed Internet technologies • Defining and implementing a prototype embedding an innovative voting protocol to ensure integrity, privacy and authentication of the voters. • The prototype was demonstrated and evaluated on 3 trial applications (Bremen – Kista – Issey-les-Moulineaux)

Desirability of Internet voting • Transparency • Participation • Capturing people’s interest • Alternative for people residing abroad and ill or disabled persons • Tabulation time and accuracy • Cost-effective equipment • Reduced costs of elections • Faster than hand-counting • Not subject to human error

Voting systems • Paper based elections • Automated elections (using any kind of voting machines) • Electronic voting (using the computer) • Off-line (stand-alone computer) • Online (connected in a closed or open network) • Internet voting (Internet functions as network) • Polling place Internet voting • Remote Internet voting

Basic principles • Equal, non-discriminatory access • Democratic elections • Freedom to vote, without undue influence or coercion – secrecy of the vote • One person, one vote • Integrity, reliability and security of the ballot box • Verifiability and audit ability of the voting process • Voter’s confidence in the voting system

1. Non-discrimination and equality • Equal situations should be treated equally and unequal situations unequally • Exceptions allowed if distinction is objective and reasonable • Equal accessibility to the voting process • Poll sites • Remote online voting • Co-existence

2. a. Freedom to vote / Secrecy of the vote • Anonymity and secrecy should be observed during the whole election process • Can ideal material circumstances be obtained when voting from home or workplace or from a mobile phone? • Abusive practices: • Buying and selling of votes • Family voting

2.b. One person, one vote • Authentication • Only legitimate voters can vote • Each voter can vote only once • Security and reliability • Every cast vote may to be counted only once • A cast vote may not be able to be altered in the course of the voting process

2.c. Reliability and security • Reliability is a matter of technical architecture • Gain people’s trust • Simple to use • Security • Voter authentication • Vote integrity • Vote privacy • Vote reliability • Non-duplication • Defence against denial of service attacks • Defence against malicious code attacks

2.d. Verifiability and audit ability • Ability to control polling and tabulation • Allow for a recount when necessary • Audit trail enhances integrity and trustworthiness 2.e. Voter’s confidence • Open source?

Discussion

Online voting: a legal perspective