New Delhi, Feb 20: Microsoft has begun testing its free open-source software called "ElectionGuard" in a small Wisconsin town in the US that aims to make voting more secure, verifiable and efficient.
"ElectionGuard" will enable end-to-end verification of elections, open results to third-party organisations for secure validation, and allow individual voters to confirm their votes were correctly counted.
It enables government entities, news outlets, human rights organisations or anyone else to build additional verifiers that independently can certify election results have been accurately counted and have not been altered, according to the company.
The software would create a paper trail and assure voters their votes were properly tallied.
"On Tuesday, Fulton residents are using the technology while choosing who will join the local school board and hold a seat on Wisconsin's state Supreme Court," reports CNBC.
With the test, the company aims to see if voters like the experience and make sure everything works fine.
In May last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced "ElectionGuard".
According to Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President, Customer Security and Trust, voting system manufacturers will be free to build ElectionGuard into their systems in a variety of ways.
"These are exciting steps that enable individual voters to confirm their vote was properly counted, and assures those voters using an ElectionGuard system of the most secure and trustworthy vote in the history of the US," Burt said in a recent blog post.
"ElectionGuard" is not intended to replace paper ballots but rather to supplement and improve systems that rely on them, and it is not designed to support internet voting.
The software provides each voter a tracker with a unique code that can be used to follow an encrypted version of the vote through the entire election process via a web portal provided by election authorities.
During the process of vote-casting, voters have an optional step that allows them to confirm that their trackers and encrypted votes accurately reflect their selections.
But once a vote is cast, neither the tracker nor any data provided through the web portal can be used to reveal the contents of the vote.
After the election is complete, the tracker codes can be used by voters to confirm that their votes were not altered or tampered with and that they were properly counted, said Microsoft.
On the security front, "ElectionGuard" uses something called homomorphic encryption - which enables mathematical procedures "like counting - to be done with fully encrypted data".
Comments
India need back to ballet revolution or face new constitution in future. EVM votes for modi on all states.
Cong. Govt was very good and fulfilled all the promises, good in administration and Overall development and one of the top most Govt in India, and list goes. but still BJP win the election in spite of corrupt leaders, hate mongers and looters. How it is possible?
What is the Reason? Unknown? Think of it. there is no Anti Cong. Ale, in karnataka
There is no any major complaint against rulers during periods. one of the best performed govt.
It is very difficult to think that people of karnataka is not ignorant and hate mongers
If we analyse the Reasons may be
1) People may not concern about Janakeeya govt and development work
2)EVM magic may be?
it is not possible to prove EVM tampering because it is highly technical and Election commission and all its engineers may be fully controlled by Sangh Parivar. so there is no value for complaint.
To whom we complaint?
It could be hidden agenda to rule India and its state through EVM. even supreme court and justice is loosing its value. Democracy is almost in end stage
There is a lesson to think. Analyse....
Think......think.......think...... think
Find out the reason......
No doubt it is EVM tampering...
EVM bluetooth hack played major role in Karnataka election... no people in the world will vote for corrupt party man..this is kill of democracy & raise of evil in india ...this will only end if indian involve in war or people revelotion against government...now more midclass people will soon become poor..no job..no development..no peace...no justice...most important save your daughter from evil people of BJP...
Anti Hindu Government Kicked out. This is what happens if you seek votes only from minority.
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