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

Vi underskrevne шnsker gennem denne underskriftsindsamling at erklжre vores utilfredshed med Velfжrdsministeriet angеende dets stilling med hensyn til brug af open source software til elektroniske afstemningssystemer.

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

Vi nжgter 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 vжlger vores reprжsentanter. Erfaringer i andre lande med ikke-open-source e-valg software giver styrke til rationaliteten at nжre 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.