Digital Privacy

Watch launch of ORG’s e-voting report

Last week, at the official launch of ORG’s report into e-voting and e-counting in the May 2007 elections, we invited MPs, civil servants and other stakeholders to come and listen to the findings of our observation mission. Joining Jason Kitcat on stage was Harri Hursti, computer security expert and star of Hacking Democracy, who has revealed a number of flaws in American voting systems. The event was expertly chaired by William Heath. Watch Jason and Harri in action.

Alun Michael MP, Andrew Miller MP and Jonathan Djanogly MP all joined the debate, and there were representatives from the Electoral Commission and the Committee on Standards in Public Life present. Unfortunately, and despite numerous invitations from ORG, neither the Ministry of Justice (formerly the DCA and the body ultimately managing the pilots) nor Bridget Prentice MP, the minister responsible, felt able to send representatives to the event.

The report got ORG its first mention in Hansard, as well as much media exposure at both the local and national level. Its findings will feed into the Electoral Commission’s statutory reports for Scotland and England (due August) as well as the Independent Scottish Review of the elections.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made the evening run so smoothly, to the Royal Academy of Engineering for being such excellent hosts, and, of course, to all our election observers for making the report possible in the first place.