\r
\r
The National Academies Press has released a 156-page report,\r
- called "Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy,"\r
- concluding that blockchains are not safe for the U.S. election\r
- system. "While the notion of using a blockchain as an\r
+ called " [1]Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy\r
+ ," concluding that blockchains are not safe for the U.S.\r
+ election system. "While the notion of using a blockchain as an\r
immutable ballot box may seem promising, blockchain technology\r
does little to solve the fundamental security issues of\r
elections, and indeed, blockchains introduce additional\r
- security vulnerabilities," the report states. "In particular,\r
- if malware on a voter's device alters a vote before it ever\r
- reaches a blockchain, the immutability of the blockchain fails\r
- to provide the desired integrity, and the voter may never know\r
- of the alteration." The report goes on to say that\r
- "Blockchains do not provide the anonymity often ascribed to\r
- them." It continues: "In the particular context of elections,\r
- voters need to be authorized as eligible to vote and as not\r
- having cast more than one ballot in the particular election.\r
- Blockchains do not offer means for providing the necessary\r
- authorization. [...] If a blockchain is used, then cast\r
- ballots must be encrypted or otherwise anonymized to prevent\r
- coercion and vote-selling." The New York Times summarizes the\r
- findings: The cautiously worded report calls for conducting\r
- all federal, state and local elections on paper ballots by\r
- 2020. Its other top recommendation would require nationwide\r
- use of a specific form of routine postelection audit to ensure\r
- votes have been accurately counted. The panel did not offer a\r
- price tag for its recommended overhaul. New York University's\r
+ security vulnerabilities," the report [2]states . "In\r
+ particular, if malware on a voter's device alters a vote\r
+ before it ever reaches a blockchain, the immutability of the\r
+ blockchain fails to provide the desired integrity, and the\r
+ voter may never know of the alteration."\r
+ \r
+ The report goes on to say that "Blockchains do not provide the\r
+ anonymity often ascribed to them." It continues: "In the\r
+ particular context of elections, voters need to be authorized\r
+ as eligible to vote and as not having cast more than one\r
+ ballot in the particular election. Blockchains do not offer\r
+ means for providing the necessary authorization. [...] If a\r
+ blockchain is used, then cast ballots must be encrypted or\r
+ otherwise anonymized to prevent coercion and vote-selling."\r
+ The New York Times summarizes the findings:\r
+ \r
+ > The cautiously worded report [3]calls for conducting all\r
+ federal, state and local elections on paper ballots by 2020 .\r
+ Its other top recommendation would require nationwide use of a\r
+ specific form of routine postelection audit to ensure votes\r
+ have been accurately counted. The panel did not offer a price\r
+ tag for its recommended overhaul. New York University's\r
Brennan Center has estimated that replacing aging voting\r
machines over the next few years could cost well over $1\r
billion. The 156-page report [...] bemoans a rickety system\r
compromised by insecure voting equipment and software whose\r
vulnerabilities were exposed more than a decade ago and which\r
are too often managed by officials with little training in\r
- cybersecurity. Among its specific recommendations was a\r
- mainstay of election reformers: All elections should use\r
- human-readable paper ballots by 2020. Such systems are\r
- intended to assure voters that their vote was recorded\r
- accurately. They also create a lasting record of "voter\r
- intent" that can be used for reliable recounts, which may not\r
- be possible in systems that record votes electronically. [...]\r
- The panel also calls for all states to adopt a type of\r
- post-election audit that employs statistical analysis of\r
- ballots prior to results certification. Such "risk-limiting"\r
- audits are designed to uncover miscounts and vote tampering.\r
- Currently only three states mandate them.\r
+ cybersecurity.\r
+ \r
+ >\r
+ \r
+ > Among its specific recommendations was a mainstay of\r
+ election reformers: All elections should use human-readable\r
+ paper ballots by 2020. Such systems are intended to assure\r
+ voters that their vote was recorded accurately. They also\r
+ create a lasting record of "voter intent" that can be used for\r
+ reliable recounts, which may not be possible in systems that\r
+ record votes electronically. [...] The panel also calls for\r
+ all states to adopt a type of post-election audit that employs\r
+ statistical analysis of ballots prior to results\r
+ certification. Such "risk-limiting" audits are designed to\r
+ uncover miscounts and vote tampering. Currently only three\r
+ states mandate them.\r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1] https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25120/securing-the-vote-protec-\r
+ ting-american-democracy\r
+ \r
+ [2] https://www.nap.edu/read/25120/chapter/7#103\r
+ \r
+ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/09/06/technology/ap-\r
+ us-tec-election-security-reform-report.html\r
\r
\r
** \r
git://git.nikiroo.be / gofetch.git / blobdiff