Electronic voting in Ireland

There’s a lot of talk around about the introduction of electronic voting…

It’s in the news constantly here. And people are afraid… after years of fairly safe manual counts, electronic voting is raising questions of transparancy and accountability. Who watches the counters, when the system is implemented in four months time? There would be perhaps less paranoia, if it wasn’t for the Florida debacle in the last US election. George Bush for president? Who woulda thunk it.
Yesterday, the Irish government were knocked off their high horse by the opposition parties, since admitting that an independent panel would be necessary to verify the secrecy and accuracy of the system, and that voters should have a facility to abstain or spoil their votes. Whoohoo!
Mind you, they’re still holding out on the accountability aspect – they don’t want a paper trail. I wonder why? Fine Gael, the Labour Party, and the Greens are not yet satisfied…
Nice when democrazy works now and then, eh?
Watch this page for updates
Ballyhoo Examiner: I Was A Computer Scientist For The CIA! (Part I) »
Ballyhoo Examiner: I Was A Computer Scientist For The CIA! (Part III) »
Campaign for a “None of the Above” option on electronic ballots »
U-turn on ?40m electronic voting system »
Lies, Damn Lies, and Six Independent Consultancies »
Update 27 February
Mick Cunningham has been keeping track of the whole thing,over on Blog Snorkeller:
Blog Snorkler comments on ‘U-turn on ?40m electronic voting system’ »
Electronicvoting.ie: yet more mistakes »
Electronic Voting: “Visually Impared” »

daev

Chief Bottle Washer at Blather

Writer, photographer, environmental campaigner and "known troublemaker" Dave Walsh is the founder of Blather.net, described both as "possibly the most arrogant and depraved website to be found either side of the majestic Shannon River", and "the nicest website circulating in Ireland". Half Irishman, half-bicycle. He lives in southern Irish city of Barcelona.