February 09, 2006

"State Eyes Open Source at Polls"

"California lawmakers on Wednesday debated the use of open-source software in the state’s electronic voting systems in hopes it might build public confidence in the nascent technology.

Sen. Debra Bowen (D-California) called the hearing, citing successful use of open-source software—programs based on widely published code—by large companies including Amazon, AOL, and IBM.

No action was expected to be taken. The hearing was scheduled more in the interest of expanding discussion of open-source alternatives, said a spokesperson for Sen. Bowen.

California has already taken steps toward using such software throughout the state. In 2004, the California Performance Review strongly recommended the use of open-source software and VoIP as cost-cutting measures, saying such moves could save the state $32 billion over five years.

During September, state Chief Information Officer J. Clark Kelso established an open-source working group composed of IT managers from 10 state departments.

According to the performance review, open source is not just about cost savings, either. “Since the code is open, it offers the flexibility for organizations to modify the code as needed for specific uses. … Open source can [also] provide superior security than closed source,” said the report.

At the very least, lawmakers want to learn more about open-source applications currently on the market and the steps to go through when evaluating a potential application, said Sen. Bowen’s office.

The 2000 U.S. Presidential election made the words “hanging chads” synonymous with election snafus, as Florida officials recounted hundreds of thousands of paper ballots during a chain of events that ended in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The open-source software would be used in electronic voting systems. But the ability to verify votes in those systems has been marred by criticisms of companies like Diebold, blasted for purported errors in its electronic machines and the need for paper trails.

The hearing included presentations from Red Hat Vice President Michael Evans and Deirdre Mulligan, of the University of California, Berkeley. Four proprietary voting system vendors, including Diebold, were invited to take part in the hearing, but didn’t attend. Hart InterCivic, for example, said it had a scheduling conflict."

You can read the story .

Posted by Randy Riddle at February 9, 2006 09:00 AM