4 |
4 |
5 \begin{document} |
5 \begin{document} |
6 |
6 |
7 \section*{Handout 2 (E-Voting)} |
7 \section*{Handout 2 (E-Voting)} |
8 |
8 |
9 In security there are many counter-intuitive phenomena: for |
9 In security engineering, there are many counter-intuitive phenomena: |
10 example I am happy (more or less) to use online banking every |
10 for example I am happy (more or less) to use online banking every day, |
11 day, where if something goes wrong, I can potentially loose a |
11 where if something goes wrong, I can potentially lose a lot of money, |
12 lot of money, but I am staunchly against using electronic |
12 but I am staunchly against using electronic voting (lets call it |
13 voting (lets call it e-voting for short). E-voting is an idea |
13 e-voting for short). E-voting is an idea that is nowadays often |
14 that is nowadays often promoted in order to counter low |
14 promoted in order to counter low turnouts in elections\footnote{In my |
15 turnouts in elections\footnote{In my last local election where |
15 last local election where I was eligible to vote only 48\% of the |
16 I was eligible to vote only 48\% of the population have cast |
16 population have cast their ballot. I was, I shamefully admit, one of |
17 their ballot. I was, I shamefully admit, one of the |
17 the non-voters.} and generally sounds like a good idea. Right? |
18 non-voters.} and generally sounds like a good idea. Right? |
18 Voting from the comfort of your own home, or on your mobile on the go, |
19 Voting from the comfort of your own home, or on your mobile on |
19 what could possibly go wrong? Even the UK's head of the Electoral |
20 the go, what could possibly go wrong? Even the UK's head of |
20 Commission, Jenny Watson, argued in 2014 in a Guardian article that |
21 the Electoral Commission, Jenny Watson, argued in 2014 in a |
21 the UK should have e-voting. Her plausible argument is that 76\% of |
22 Guardian article that the UK should have e-voting. Her |
22 pensioners in the UK vote (in a general election?), but only 44\% of |
23 plausible argument is that 76\% of pensioners in the UK vote |
23 the under-25s. For which constituency politicians might therefore make |
24 (in a general election?), but only 44\% of the under-25s. For |
24 more favourable (short-term) decisions is clear. So being not yet |
25 which constituency politicians might therefore make more |
|
26 favourable (short-term) decisions is clear. So being not yet |
|
27 pensioner, I should be in favour of e-voting, no? |
25 pensioner, I should be in favour of e-voting, no? |
28 |
26 |
29 Well, it turns out there are many things that can go wrong |
27 Well, it turns out there are many things that can go wrong with |
30 with e-voting, as I like to argue in this handout. E-voting in |
28 e-voting, as I like to argue in this handout. E-voting in a ``secure |
31 a ``secure way'' seems to be one of the things in computer |
29 way'' seems to be one of the things in computer science that are still |
32 science that are still very much unsolved. It is not on the |
30 very much unsolved. It is not on the scale of Turing's halting |
33 scale of Turing's halting problem, which is proved that it can |
31 problem, which is proved that it can never be solved in general, but |
34 never be solved in general, but it is unsolved with current |
32 more in the category of being unsolvable with current technology. This |
35 technology. This is not just my opinion, but |
33 is not just my opinion, but also shared by many security researchers |
36 from shared by Alex Halderman, who is the world-expert on this |
34 amogst them Alex Halderman, who is the world-expert on this subject |
37 subject and from whose course on Securing Digital Democracy |
35 and from whose course on Securing Digital Democracy I have most of my |
38 I have most of my information and inspiration. It is also |
36 information and inspiration. It is also a controversial topic in many |
39 a controversial topic in many countries: |
37 countries: |
40 |
38 |
41 \begin{itemize} |
39 \begin{itemize} |
42 \item The Netherlands between 1997--2006 had electronic voting |
40 \item The Netherlands between 1997--2006 had electronic voting |
43 machines, but ``hacktivists'' had found they can be |
41 machines, but ``hacktivists'' had found they can be hacked to change |
44 hacked and also emitted radio signals revealing how you |
42 votes and also emitted radio signals revealing how you voted. |
45 voted. |
|
46 |
43 |
47 \item Germany had used them in pilot studies, but in 2007 a |
44 \item Germany conducted pilot studies with e-voting, but in 2007 a law |
48 law suit has reached the highest court and it rejected |
45 suit has reached the highest court and it rejected e-voting on the |
49 electronic voting on the grounds of not being |
46 grounds of not being understandable by the general public. |
50 understandable by the general public. |
|
51 |
47 |
52 \item UK used optical scan voting systems in a few trail |
48 \item UK used optical scan voting systems in a few trail polls, but to |
53 polls, but to my knowledge does not use any e-voting in |
49 my knowledge does not use any e-voting in elections. |
54 elections. |
|
55 |
50 |
56 \item The US used mechanical machines since the 1930s, later |
51 \item The US used mechanical machines since the 1930s, later punch |
57 punch cards, now DREs and optical scan voting machines. |
52 cards, now DREs and optical scan voting machines. |
58 |
53 |
59 \item Estonia used since 2007 the Internet for national |
54 \item Estonia used since 2007 the Internet for national |
60 elections. There were earlier pilot studies for voting |
55 elections. There were earlier pilot studies for voting via Internet |
61 via Internet in other countries. |
56 in other countries. |
62 |
57 |
63 \item India uses e-voting devices since at least 2003. They |
58 \item India uses e-voting devices since at least 2003. They used |
64 used ``keep-it-simple'' machines produced by a |
59 ``keep-it-simple'' machines produced by a government owned company. |
65 government owned company. |
|
66 |
60 |
67 \item South Africa used software for its tallying in the 1993 |
61 \item South Africa used software for its tallying in the 1993 |
68 elections (when Nelson Mandela was elected) |
62 elections (when Nelson Mandela was elected) and found that the |
69 and found that the tallying software was |
63 tallying software was rigged, but they were able to tally manually. |
70 rigged, but they were able to tally manually. |
|
71 \end{itemize} |
64 \end{itemize} |
72 |
65 |
73 |
66 |
74 The reason that e-voting is such a hard problem is that we |
67 The reason that e-voting is such a hard problem is that we have |
75 have requirements about the voting process that conflict with |
68 requirements about the voting process that conflict with each |
76 each other. The five main requirements are: |
69 other. The five main requirements for voting in general are: |
77 |
70 |
78 \begin{itemize} |
71 \begin{itemize} |
79 \item {\bf Integrity} |
72 \item {\bf Integrity} |
80 \begin{itemize} |
73 \begin{itemize} |
81 \item The outcome of the vote matches with the voters' |
74 \item The outcome of the vote matches with the voters' |