Petition in support of open source for Danish e-voting systems

To:  Karen Jespersen, Velfærdsminister og minister for ligestilling (Welfare Minister and Minister for Equal Rights)

Vi underskrevne ønsker gennem denne underskriftsindsamling at erklære vores utilfredshed med Velfærdsministeriet angående dets stilling med hensyn til brug af open source software til elektroniske afstemningssystemer.

Det er blevet offentliggjort at Velfærdsministeriet som stakeholder og deltager i formulering af kravspecificationer til det endelige e-valg system har anbefalet kommunerne ikke at sige at det skal være open source (http://www.version2.dk/artikel/7115).

Vi nægter at benytte os af e-valg systemer som ikke er open source. Vores holdning er at uigennemsigtigt "black box" e-valg software truer vores demokrati ved forplumring af mekanismen gennem hvis vi vælger vores repræsentanter. Erfaringer i andre lande med ikke-open-source e-valg software giver styrke til rationaliteten at nære mistillid til andet end open source e-valg systemer.

Vi vil bruge almindelige valgkort og stemmesedler frem for et ikke-open source e-valg system. Hermed opfordrer vi ministeriet til at revidere dets anbefaling i denne sag og til at rette dets holdning til et gennemskueligt elektronisk demokrati via open source.

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We, the undersigned, through this letter register our disapproval with the Danish Welfare Ministry over the Ministry's position concerning the use of open source software in e-voting systems.

It has come to the public's attention that the Welfare Ministry as stakeholder in the requirements specification development for e-voting software has advised municipalities against mandating that the e-voting software be open source (http://www.version2.dk/artikel/7115).

We will not use e-voting systems which are not open source. It is our opinion that black box voting software poses a threat to our democracy by hiding the mechanism by which we elect our representatives. Experiences with black box e-voting software in other countries support a healthy distrust of non-open source e-voting systems.

We will use paper and pen before using an e-voting system which is not open source. We hereby request that you re-examine the Ministry's position in this matter and correct your position such that you stand in favor of open source e-voting systems.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Petition in support of open source for Danish e-voting systems Petition to Karen Jespersen, Velfærdsminister og minister for ligestilling (Welfare Minister and Minister for Equal Rights) was created by and written by Josef Assad (josef.assad@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.