The state generate the code, and thus on the day of the vote – on 9 June, all residents will be capable to be sure that the machines are so as and that their software program has not been tampered with. This occurred after earlier on Saturday The Ministry of Digital Administration (MEU) has licensed the technical serviceability of the machines. Within the night on Saturday, the verification was additionally performed by Bulgarian Institute of Metrology (BIM) and Bulgarian Institute of Standardization (BIS).
Their selections have already been despatched in a report back to the Central Election Fee (CEC), the MEU press heart introduced. Whole in Bulgaria the voting machines are 9,500, and people overseas – 250stated the e-Authorities Minister Valentin Mundrov at a press convention.
What’s the “hash code” that may make sure the safety of machine voting
It’s in regards to the technology of the so-called hash code. On Saturday evening it grew to become clear that he was 4F 0B E0 3E E8 44 FD CF 48 9D 56 D7 BC 7C 49 6B 1B E0 9D A7 17 D1 6C 4C 3D 95 DB BE 24 F1 D4 71.
It will likely be written on the machine inspection receipt and on every poll. Due to this fact, on the day of the vote, residents can examine it and if the mixture matches the one revealed immediately, this might be a assure that the machines are so as..
On Saturday, at 11 o’clock the process started for the manufacturing of the software program for the machines, which is carried out by the Central Electoral Fee. Typically, the software program is locked with a key containing three completely different passwords of three CEC members on a CEC laptop computer. Nobody apart from the committee members has entry to the important thing.
The software program was inbuilt a managed setting offered by the e-Governance Ministry. The division allowed residents to go to the place and observe the method within the “Parter” corridor, entrance from “Deacon Ignatius” avenue.
Solely the hash code publicly recognized immediately matches the software program already constructed for the machines. theoretically, if an attacker installs different software program on a machine, it’ll generate a unique hash code on the vote and so it might shine a potential ploy. The unique hash code generated immediately might be displayed on boards in any respect polling locations on June 9, in order that residents can simply examine if it matches what’s written on the voter’s examine receipt .
The hash code. Photograph: Ministry of e-Authorities
The large scandal
One of many large scandals that got here with the native elections in October 2023, when the e-government minister Alexander Yolovskywho’s presently a deputy minister of the identical division, was cancel the machine vote for the primary spherical.
On the eve of the elections on October 29, the Central Election Fee canceled the machine vote, referring to a report by the Nationwide Tax Service, claiming that Deputy Minister of Digital Management Mihail Stoinov had written the codes for the machines. Stoinov himself identified that the DANS “report” is filled with false statements.
One of many CEC’s arguments for canceling the machine vote for the October 29 election was that the ministry had not then accomplished the method of certifying the machines. This occurred on Friday, and the deadline for verification was 5pm on Saturday, October 28.
Later, from a press release by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, it grew to become clear that the CEC knew that the ministry was certifying the machines even throughout its assembly, however didn’t contemplate this truth and canceled the machine vote.
Transparency
“As I stated initially of my time period, I’ll do every part potential to have essentially the most clear and open machine verification course of potential”Minister Valentin Mundrov famous.
All actions have been public and clear, as was the drawing of the numbers of machines that handed the verification checks, which have been random and carried out by media representatives, he added.
Mundrov added that, for the primary time, representatives of the events and coalitions, in addition to non-governmental organizations, have entry and the chance to take part within the verification course of, as described within the Electoral Code.
