An Introduction to Voting Rule Verification

We give an introduction to deductive verification methods that can be used to formally prove that voting rules and their implementations satisfy specified properties and conform to the desired democratic principles. In the first part of the paper we explain the basic principles: We describe how first-order logic with theories can be used to formalise the desired properties. We explain the difference between (1) proving that one set of properties implies another property, (2) proving that a voting rule implementation has a certain property, and (3) proving that a voting rule implementation is a refinement of an executable specification. And we explain the different technologies: (1) SMT-based testing, (2) bounded program verification, (3) relational program verification, and (4) symmetry breaking. In this first part of the paper, we also explain the difference between verifying functional and relational properties (such as symmetries). In the second part, we present case studies, including (1) the specification and verification of semantic properties for an STV rule used for electing the board of trustees for a major international conference and (2) the deduction-based computation of election margins for the Danish national parliamentary elections

Tape Mbo'e: A First Experimental Assessment

The development of software not only needs to consider the construction process, but also other aspects such as cost, human resources and communication among stakehold- ers. The lack of simplicity into this context becomes explicit when some restrictions, such as service oriented architecture, must be considered as the basic style to build sus- tainable applications into environments were practitioners are not aware of this software technology. In addition to this, most of the available software processes are not directly applicable nor are they reusable, so learning times becomes risk for the development of the project. Therefore, Tape Mbo'e (TME) has been proposed to support the building of such applications, into development environments like developing countries where we can have economic constraints and scarcity of proficient practitioners. The first application of TME has been to develop a service-based application whose goal is to provide the interoperability among legacy systems of different public agencies in Paraguay. Initial results of this experience indicated the feasibility and simplicity of TME when applied in this field. The evaluation process, its results and conclusions are described in this paper

A Large‐Scale E‐voting System Based on Blockchain

E-voting systems are increasingly used, considering the various facilities they offer: casting and counting votes in real time. The current voting systems are currently the target of attempted fraud and this is a major problem globally, which has not been solved even to this day. In the field of computer science, these e-voting platforms need to provide integrated security, thus enhancing the scalability and performance of the blockchain‐based e‐voting system. Our aim is to develop a secure internet-based voting system to maximize user participation, by allowing them to vote from anywhere. This paper proposes a system architecture based on blockchain technology along with a web interface in order to securely authenticate the voters on the platform. It should be noted in addition that these two components can be used together or separately, depending on the application’s needs

Using Formal Methods for Building more Reliable and Secure e-voting Systems

Deploying a system in a safe and secure manner requires ensuring the tech- nical and procedural levels of assurance also with respect to social and regu- latory frameworks. This is because threats and attacks may not only derive from pitfalls in complex security critical system, but also from ill-designed procedures. However, existing methodologies are not mature enough to em- brace procedural implications and the need for multidisciplinary approach on the safe and secure operation of system. This is particularly common in electronic voting (e-voting) systems. This dissertation focuses along two lines. First, we propose an approach to guarantee a reasonable security to the overall systems by performing for- mal procedural security analysis. We apply existing techniques and define novel methodologies and approaches for the analysis and verification of procedural rich systems. This includes not only the definition of adequate modeling convention, but also the definition of general techniques for the injection of attacks, and for the transformation of process models into rep- resentations that can be given as input to model checkers. With this it is possible to understand and highlight how the switch to the new tech- nological solution changes security, with the ultimate goal of defining the procedures regulating system and system processes that ensure a sufficient level of security for the system as well as for its procedures. We then investigate the usage of formal methods to study and analyze the strength and weaknesses of currently deployed (e-voting) system in order to build the next generation (e-voting) systems. More specifically, we show how formal verification techniques can be used to model and reason about the security of an existing e-voting system. To do that, we reuse the methodology propose for procedural security analysis. The practical applicability of the approaches is demonstrated in several case studies from the domain of public administrations in general and in e-voting system in particular. With this it can be possible to build more secure, reliable, and trustworthy e-voting system

Cost optimization in requirements management for space systems

2021 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.When producing complex space systems, the transformation of customer needs into a realized system includes the development of product requirements. The ability to generate and manage the requirements can either enable the overall system development or drive significant cost and schedule impacts. Assessing practices in the industry and publications, it is observed that there is a substantial amount of documented approaches to address requirement development and product verification, but only a limited amount of documented approaches for requirements management. A complex system can have tens of thousands of requirements across multiple levels of development which, if not well managed, can lead to hidden costs associated with missed requirements and product rework. With current space system projects being developed at a rapid pace using more cost constrained approaches such as fixed budgets, an investigation into more efficient processes, such as requirements management, can yield methods to enable successful, cost effective system development. To address the optimal approach of managing requirements for complex space systems, this dissertation assesses current practices for requirements management, evaluates various contributing factors towards optimization of project costs associated with this activity, and proposes an optimized requirements management process to utilize during the development of space systems. Four key areas of process control are identified for requirements management optimization on a project, including utilization of a data focused requirements management approach, development (and review) of requirements using a collaborative software application, ensuring the requirement set is a consolidated with an appropriate amount of requirements for the project, and evaluating when to officially levy requirements on the product developers based on requirement maturation stability. Multiple case studies are presented to evaluate if the proposed requirements management process yields improvement over traditional approaches, including a simulation of the current state and proposed requirements management approaches. Ultimately, usage of the proposed optimized set of processes is demonstrated to be a cost effective approach when compared against traditional processes that may adversely impact the development of new space systems

Challenges and Prospects of e‐Elections in Nigeria

E‐governance is a momentous currency in contemporary society, and it manifests in virtually all areas of life, which include, among others, banking, insurance, trade and commerce, and democracy. The deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Technology (IT) devices for democratic governance has been successful in technologically advanced countries, and has inspired countries from the developing South, such as Nigeria to contemplate or commence e‐elections for democratic sustainability. The elections regulatory body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had contemplated exploring e‐elections in the country but later dropped the idea on grounds of unpreparedness. Electoral process or election however, has its several components: voter registration, registration review/update, electioneering campaigns, actual voting, and release of election results. These naturally come with their challenges and have informed a school of thought that based on Nigeria’s economic instability, corruption, resources mismanagement, and technologically backward climate, including unstable power supply, e‐elections would be far‐fetched. The other school of thought however, exhibits hope and optimism. This paper, with data scooped through questionnaire administration and from literature, examines the challenges and prospects as well as the peculiarity of Nigerian electoralsystem and the e‐election system, which will be marooned in the general Nigerian politicandl economic climate. Findings show that the prospects are and will always be good for the country, but that the stakes are far too high at a moment of huge infrastructural laybacks of the country. Moreover, not too many people have confidence in the electoral regime, let alone going ahead with such a venture as e‐elections. It therefore recommends, among other things, that the nation should develop the sub‐sectors of the economy that can sustain e‐elections before INEC goes ahead with the capital‐intensive enterprise for democratic sustainability in Nigeria

E-democracy Implementation: The Imperative of Agenda Setting

Decline in the level of citizens’ participation due to disconnect between citizens and their representatives has been identified as one of the prominent challenges facing most democratic societies in the world today. E-democracy has been identified to have the potentials to reduce the contemporary estrangement between the democratic actors by creating new forms of engagement, deliberation, and collaboration in polity to make the democratic processes more inclusive and transparent. However, edemocracy initiatives in many countries have had mixed success as most e-democracy implementations have been unable to justify the essence of huge investments made into it. This research paper reviews existing edemocracy development processes and agenda of nations among the top twenty countries in e-participation implementation as rated in the UN Global E-Government Evaluation, 2010. The sample composed of secondary data sourced from information system centric academic journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, database of international development organisations (OECD, UN, EU) on e-democracy implementation reports and database of research institutions and centres that focus on e-government and e-democracy implementation. Findings revealed that most countries do not have well established framework and agenda setting for e-democracy implementation, but only based their e-democracy implementation on one of the objectives of their e-government implementation. As a result, policy content is largely missing in most edemocracy strategies at both conceptual and implementation stage. This paper therefore, presents a guideline for e-democracy agenda setting and discusses issues germane to establishing e-democracy agenda. It submits that for a successful e-democracy implementation, the agenda-setting phase should capture the legal and political processes of the country. In addition, e-democracy strategic vision, strategic aim and objectives, strategic policy, mode of implementation and overseeing body should be well articulated in the agenda setting phase of e-democracy implementation plan. The discussion will benefit both researchers, government and practitioners on successful e-democracy implementation as basis for societal development

The Role of Information and Communication Technology on Transparency, Trust and Good Governance in Nigeria

Studies on transparency and trust in public sector management have generated exciting moments amongst scholars and practitioners alike in the area of good governance for development of societies. Furthermore, it has been argued by some scholars that government agencies are more likely to achieve their goals of enhanced performance for the improvement in the living standard of the people, particularly in the provision of adequate social amenities such as clean water, electricity supply, good roads, well equipped hospitals and adequate security protection of lives and properties, where transparency on the part of public officials in the use of public resources, and trust about government agencies on the part of the people are the norms in such a society. Previous studies have hinged on transparency for enhanced performance of government and its agencies on the integrity and perception of the individual employees in carrying out their assignments without taking into consideration the lack of capacity to perform, and the value judgment of such individuals. This present study focuses on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the management of government and its activities for enhanced development in the society. The work contributes to our understanding of the relationship between ICT, transparency, trust and good governance as a catalyst for development in Nigeria. With the use of structural equation model, the study empirically analyzed 261 copies of the questionnaire that were administered to respondents in the public and the private sectors of the nation’s economy, about their perception on the relationship between the variables under consideration. The findings suggest the importance of ICT as a facilitator of transparency in the management of public resources, including, revenue collection and disbursement of public funds by government officials, as a basis for societal development, than the mere reliance on individual employees’ integrity and perception in the management of public resources in Nigeria’s quest for developmen