RE: [election-services] Cellphones - the ultimate thin-client voting terminal?

["David RR Webber \(XML\)" <david@drrw.info>]

John,

This is a little bit different from calling in over a telephone - as the voting application is actually running on the cellphone - written in Java on LINUX - and provides menuing and collecting of ballot choices actually on the device.

As you point our SMS is just one option.  

Interestingly - you could maybe bypass SMS - by using encrypted voice packets instead - have the java do the encoding - and send that over a regular dial-in -> back to the old days when I used to record my programs at 2400 baud to a cassette recorder from a BBC Acorn Atom - just a brief high pitched whine as the transfer happens!?!  You could mute the speaker - so the user would not be disturbed.  However - that would require better levels of signal quality than plain old SMS.

Support from TC members - happy to have people contribute to the first drafting - and then of course once we publish the draft for review here - I'm sure we can expect helpful input and refinements at that stage too.

Ultimately if everyone likes the paper - we could consider making it a formal TC doc - rather than just a draft.

Thanks, DW

"The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)


> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [election-services] Cellphones - the ultimate thin-client
> voting terminal?
> From: John Borras <johnaborras@yahoo.co.uk>
> Date: Wed, April 11, 2007 6:44 am
> To: "David RR Webber (XML)" <david@drrw.info>,
> election-services@lists.oasis-open.org
> Cc: rcjohnson@openvotingsolutions.com
> 
> Interesting.  Telephone voting will be allowed in our e-voting pilots
> next month but SMS voting has been dropped from the list of channels
> to be tested because of security worries.
>  
> What support are you looking for from TC members?
>  
> Regards
> John
> M. +44 (0)7976 157745 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: David RR Webber (XML) 
> To: election-services@lists.oasis-open.org
> Cc: rcjohnson@openvotingsolutions.com
> Sent: Tuesday, 10 April, 2007 6:32:37 PM
> Subject: [election-services] Cellphones - the ultimate thin-client
> voting terminal?
> 
> 
> While this may appear at first paradoxical - given the aversion to
> wireless technology and voting places - in reality - cellphone
> technology creates an extreme lowcost solution for countries wanting
> advantages of evoting without the cost.
>  
> Also - because people in developing countries can operate a cellphone
> - it requires almost no training.  
>  
> Large sized cardboard printed ballot instructions can be used to
> augment the small screen size during voting - and even provide privacy
> screening.  Audio prompting is also possible - and vote confirmation.
>  
> The idea then is to create custom voting cellphones - that are used
> specifically in voting situations to record peoples votes - in effect
> a miniature computer.  
>  
> Voting officials would hand an authorized voter a phone - they vote -
> then return the phone for re-activation to allow next voter to cast.
>  
> Text messaging and paper ballot printing are options to confirm
> peoples voting choices.  External touch LEDs could also be supported
> via port on bottom of the cellphone for handicapped voting.
>  
> I propose to develop a whitepaper over the next few weeks exploring
> this - and OASIS EML combined - so that practical applications for
> real elections can be envisioned.  I have already received offers of
> help on this from Bangladesh University and my colleagues in OVS - and
> we'd be happy to have EML members as part of that too.
>  
> Already I'm seeing three modes of operation:
>  
> 1) Standalone - the wireless capability of the phone is disabled - and
> each cellphone is used to record votes - sealed into a ballot box at
> the voting station - and then returned to central facilities for
> authentication and counting.
>  
> 2) Local sub-station use - mobile facility ( e.g. 3-wheeler motorbike
> with generator and battery ) provides instant cellular support during
> election at remote facility.  Can reach out to central facilitities
> for vote transmission.
>  
> 3) National cellular coverage - allows full operational control -
> including GPS verification.
>  
> What I find interesting here is that India has already had success
> with laptops with seals - the cellphone idea merely takes the approach
> to the next logical level.  While nothing is ever 100% perfect - this
> seems to offer an major cost breakthrough and access ability and
> security beyond current paper-only ballotting systems.
>  
> Thanks, DW
> 
> "The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)
> 
> 
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