[Linux-aus] Grant request: Contribution to Senate voting source code FOI request review.

[Luke John]

Hey All,

After seeing Michaels FOI request last year I attempted to get access
to the EasyCount source code through scrutineering based on the
following legislation.

Electoral Act Sect 265(1)(c)  - All the proceedings at the scrutiny
shall be open to the inspection of the scrutineers;
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/cea1918233/s273a.html

Unfortunately they still refused access and beyond making a formal
complaint I could find no remedy under the act for the aec refusing
access to scrutiny.

Some other concerns I had after scrutineering that may be of interest;

None of the hardware used as part of the computerised scrutiny is secured.
The vote entry and handling aspects of the EasyCount system were not
tested, the only testing that occurred was on the tallying part of the
code.
The aec refused access to the tests and their results.
The has been no measuring of accuracy of the double entry of the below
the line votes.  From a cursory check (listening for the audio beep
that occurs when an incorrect vote is entered) as many as 1% of btl
votes may be getting entered incorrectly.

Kind Regards
Luke John

On Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 10:31 AM, Brent Wallis <brent.wallis at gmail.com> wrote:
> +1
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 12:23 PM, Andrew Donnellan <ajdlinux at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> I strongly support this application.
>>
>> Andrew
>>
>> On 23/06/2014 11:17 am, "Chris Neugebauer" <chrisjrn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> One of our members, Michael Cordover, has been going through the
>>> Freedom of Information process to gain access to the source code used
>>> by the Australian Electoral Commision to tally Senate votes in
>>> Australian federal elections.
>>>
>>> Michael's process, including all correspondence with the AEC, has been
>>> thoroughly documented here at [0].
>>>
>>> The AEC declined the FOI request, and Michael is currently seeking
>>> appeal through the administrative appeals tribunal, as the free review
>>> process was performed by the OAIC, a body being disbanded through the
>>> 2014-15 federal budget process.
>>>
>>> The appeal requires a lodgement fee of some $850. Michael is in the
>>> process of crowd funding this request [1].
>>>
>>> Whilst I'm not a lawyer, I've been following the process quite closely
>>> since it started, and have been deeply bemused by the AEC's arguments,
>>> which I personally feel are either technically flawed or absurd.
>>>
>>> I believe that the goal of the FOI request, and associated review, is
>>> well in line with Linux Australia's values [2], in particular, that of
>>> "Freedom", which explicitly states:
>>>
>>> "We value free access to, sharing of and repurposing of information,
>>> in particular that information held by the public sector."
>>>
>>> I'd like to request that, as a showing of support, Linux Australia
>>> make a small contribution, not exceeding $150 to the crowdfunding
>>> campaign.
>>>
>>>
>>> --Chris
>>>
>>> [0] http://easycount.mjec.net/
>>> [1] http://www.pozible.com/project/183015
>>> [2] http://linux.org.au/values
>>>
>>> --
>>> --Christopher Neugebauer
>>>
>>> Jabber: chrisjrn at gmail.com -- IRC: chrisjrn on irc.freenode.net --
>>> WWW: http://chris.neugebauer.id.au -- Twitter: @chrisjrn
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> linux-aus mailing list
>>> linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
>>> http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus
>>
>>
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