Madam, - We are very pleased to see political parties making well informed statements on the important issue of electronic voting. We would like to make several comments in direct response to Mark Hennessy's report on the subject in your edition of November 4th.
Mr Hennessy writes that there were "no security problems" either time the system has been used in Ireland. But one of the greatest problems with the lack of transparency in the new electronic system is that faults may go undetected.
If somehow the system were compromised, we might never know. Defects in the system - due to malice or simple human error - could lead to the wrong candidate being elected.
The report closes with a claim from an official of the Department of the Environment that making a paper copy of each vote would compromise the privacy of the ballot. This is simply not true. Voters would not be allowed to remove ballot papers from the polling booth. They would be deposited into a ballot box, perhaps even behind a protective screen, so that they could be recounted should the need arise.
The printed ballots would no more endanger the secrecy of the ballot than do the ballots in the old paper-only system.
This voting system should not be used again in real elections until the Irish public can be satisfied that it is safe.
That will not be possible until the system at the very least provides a voter verified audit trail.
(Please see http://www. verifiedvoting.org/) - Yours, etc.,
MARGARET McGALEY,
Dr PAUL GIBSON,
Computer Science
Department,
National University of Ireland,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.