Open-source voting system
An open-source voting system (OSVS), also known as Open-source voting or OSV, uses open-source software (and/or hardware) that is published publicly in order to be checked by anyone, and can often be freely adapted and used.[1]
Benefits of Open-source Software in Voting Systems
Security and Trust
Systems where anyone can check the code serve a similar function to that of election observers who help to inspire trust with increased transparency and verification. With quicker identification and correction of issues than under proprietary systems, leading organizations such as the Defense Department and NASA opt to incorporate open-source systems.[2] Cities, for example, can have their own staff work on software with the vendors when out in the open, allowing for faster patches and enhancing their election security.[3] The consensus among the information security community is that an open-source system that gets lots of use would be more secure than a closed one, as more eyes will be helping to check for vulnerabilities.[4]
Lower Costs
In addition to increased transparency creating more trust and security, open-source software can dramatically lower costs for what is the most essential tool for democracies: elections. A VotingWorks bid in a Mississippi county, for example, was 50% less than vendors using proprietary software.[5][6]
How:
- Long term voting system maintenance with costs controlled via vendor competition[7]
- Acquire/replace voting hardware without single vendor dependence or markup[7]
- Opportunity to share the cost of software, hardware orders, training, and regulatory costs with other jurisdictions[7]
Development Milestones
2019: Microsoft open-sourced its voting software ElectionGuard, which they claim is used by all major manufacturers of voting systems.[8]
2020: Los Angeles County became the first U.S. jurisdiction to implement its own publicly-owned election system.[9] A condition of the Secretary of State's approval was to open-source the code by October 1, 2021,[10] but no evidence of follow-through on that condition or commitment to it by the County of Los Angeles has been uncovered as of late 2022.
2023: May see the first open-source voting system with ranked-choice voting approved. San Francisco hoped to run a limited pilot in the Fall of 2022, but California's Secretary of State wanted the City to resubmit their application when VotingWorks' ranked-choice voting module was closer to completion.[11]
Adoption
Election Software
U.S.
In New Hampshire, the towns of Ashland, Newington and Woodstock piloted an open-sourced system in the fall of 2022 with an eye to statewide adoption of VotingWorks' open-source machines by 2024.[12]
In Mississippi, 14 local jurisdictions use VotingWorks.[6]
Risk-limiting Audit Software
Risk-limiting audits are performed after an election to check for irregularities in the tallying of votes.
U.S.
Statewide
Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.[6]
Localities
California, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington.[6]
See Also
End-to-end auditable voting systems
- ^ 2017-2018 Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Source Voting in San Francisco. https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2017_2018/2017-18_SFCGJ_Final_Report_Open_Source_Voting_in_San_Francisco.pdf. Accessed December 5, 2022.
- ^ Cooper, David L. (2017). "Translation and the Making of Modern Russian Literature. By Brian James Baer . New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. x, 213 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $25.99, paper". Slavic Review. 76 (1): 276–277. doi:10.1017/slr.2017.67. ISSN 0037-6779.
- ^ Elder, Jeff (November 14, 2021). "How one company came to control San Francisco's elections". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
- ^ 2017-2018 Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Source Voting in San Francisco. https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2017_2018/2017-18_SFCGJ_Final_Report_Open_Source_Voting_in_San_Francisco.pdf. Accessed December 5, 2022.
- ^ Guizerix, Anna (2021-08-18). "Warren County Supervisors approve purchase of new voting machines". The Vicksburg Post. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
- ^ a b c d "VotingWorks FAQ". www.voting.works. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
- ^ a b c San Francisco Open Source Voting Technical Advisory Committee. May 14th 2019 Meeting. Committee Member Brandon Phillips. p. 39. https://osvtac.github.io/files/meetings/2020/2020-03-12/packet/DT_OSV_State_of_Art_Briefing_Feb_2020.pdf
- ^ "Microsoft makes its open-source secure voting software available to all". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
- ^ "AP20:091 Los Angeles County VSAP 2.1 Voting System Certified :: California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- ^ "Conditional Approval of Los Angeles County's Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) 2.1 Voting System" by Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State. October 1, 2020. Condition 28, p. 6. https://votingsystems.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vendors/LAC/vsap2-1/vsap21-cert.pdf
- ^ "Update on Open-Source Pilot Program." Letter from Shirley N. Weber, California Secretary of State to John Arntz and the City and County of San Francisco. May 6, 2022. https://sfgov.org/electionscommission/sites/default/files/Documents/meetings/2022/2022-11-16-commission/Attachment%201.pdf
- ^ "3 N.H. towns are testing out new ballot counting machines that use open source software". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2022-11-25.