Delaware Could Do New Breakthrough Voting Tech

Filed in Delaware by on July 9, 2014

Delaware is currently using very outdated and insecure voting technology as I have recently observed.  I gather from local media the administration of voting here is being restructured.  Developments, probably known through voting administrator professional groups, provide a potential breakthrough opportunity for Delaware.  And a cost saving opportunity.

The Texas Tribune, based in Austin, report that the very savvy and innovative  Travis County Clerk there, Dana DeBeauvior, has initiated a project of building their own system which is based on existing next generation tablet technology called STAR (Security, Transparency, Auditability and Reliability), features largely absent from what I know of the 90’s generation voting technology used here.

Of particular note to me is the Open Source approach they are taking as well as emphasis on a paper trail that includes a paper ballot accompanying the digital process.  Travis County is currently using the highly vulnerable and non-transparent DRE system from Hart InterCivic.

I read too that Los Angeles  County  is embarking on building a similar in house system.  Austin and/or L.A. may well be open to cost sharing with other voting jurisdictions.  I certainly hope the Delaware authorities will at minimum explore these developments and perhaps tie in.

We are long overdue in removing the black box syndrome from our voting systems, administered by a very few  for-profit, private vendors dominating the now deeply outdated voting systems sphere, where little innovation is occurring.  What has occurred in the past are  partisan contributions to Republican candidates and parties by executives of these firms, which I have found deeply troubling.

Check out the Texas Tribune article published on July 9 for greater detail.  I’m hopeful readers of this blog will pass along this information to local election officials and officeholders alike.

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  1. stan merriman says:

    This may be the time for Delaware to consider and debate voting by mail which seems to be working well in Washington state and Oregon. Potential cost benefits there as well as turnout which seems to be good in those states.