Our Mission
OVC will not run your elections for you. OVC will provide jurisdictions with tools enabling them to run their own elections in a secure, verifiable, accessible, and transparent manner -- very affordable, too. The People will own the hardware. The People will own the software. Together, we will exemplify the concept of Self Governance.We need this new approach to correct a technically flawed voting system that weakens democracy.
The California Secretary of State's investigation amounts to a scathing indictment of the whole system.
We believe that,
- the whole voting system must be open to complete public scrutiny with no room for "trade secrets,"
- the voting system must include a durable paper ballot that can be handled, stacked, counted, and recounted if necessary,
- the voting system should invite public participation instead of discouraging it,
- your ballot should be cast in private but counted in public,
- accessibility features should be built into the system,
- we need to conduct elections in a cost effective manner,
Current Efforts
It will literally take millions of dollars to develop and certify hardware that could be used with our open source software. We need major funding support or a major hardware partner to accomplish this.
Most of OVC's work has been done by volunteers. In order to complete this work at the high standard of quality demanded by the application, we will need paid professional staff.
Until we can get the necessary backing, we will continue to discuss our potential solution with jurisdictions but do not expect them to be paying for memberships.
Therefore, OVC will continue as a purely voluntary effort.
If you can help in any of these three areas, please feel free to contact us:
- Finding a hardware partner (or partners)
- Reaching out to jurisdictions
- Locate a source (or sources) for major funding
We thank everyone who has contributed to this effort so far.
Recent News & Events
Bowen's Top-to-Bottom Review
On Friday, Bowen will announce what she intends to do about it.
Here are some pictures Assembly member Krekorian
San Francisco or New York, which will be first with open source voting system?
This resolution even goes so far as to quote Richard Johnson, CEO of Open Voting Solutions (and resident of NY). It looks like this is moving in the right direction. One-third of the City Council signed on as sponsors the day it was introduced. Congratulations to our friends in New York for getting this far with the idea.
Another Open Source Resolution Passed
This is Great News and more evidence that the Open Voting idea is catching on. Thanks especially to Tom Gangale for pushing this forward.
Here is what the resolution says:
Supporting Open Source Software for Electronic Voting Machines
John Edwards Supports "Open Source" for Voting Systems
June 27, 2007
Contact:
Alan Dechert, 916-772-5360
President, Open Voting Consortium
http://openvoting.org
Reference: Letter from Edwards Campaign
9560 Windrose Lane, Granite Bay, CA 95746
Historic Decision by San Francisco Elections Commission Favoring Open Source Software for Elections
This was introduced by Commissioners Arnold Townsend and Victor Hwang. We congratulate them and all the other Commissioners for taking this bold step.
Here is the complete text of the general policy statement they passed:
Report From Red Hat Summit
I have returned from this 3-day conference with a new sense of optimism and hope. It was a great experience, and I thank all of you for helping to make OVC participation possible.
My keynote address on the morning of the first day was very well-received. It helped that the Red Hat CEO, Matthew Szulik, said some very nice things about the open voting project during his opening remarks. Everyone I met spoke very positively about the open voting project.
April 17 Victories for Open Voting
Legislative Efforts Having Impact
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren with Alan Dechert at a meeting last week. Lofgren is chair of the House Administration sub-committee on elections.
OVC is promoting legislation at the federal, state, and local level, to bring about complete transparency in the administration of public elections. The sooner we eradicate secret vote counting methods the better!
During the House Administration hearings (sub-committee on elections, chaired by Lofgren) last month, four of the witnesses spoke primarily about open source. Several of the bills (including HR 811, topic of these hearings) introduced in Congress have technology disclosure language.
We've had a hand in getting changes in the bill language. More meetings are planned.
Last year, State Senator Bowen (now Secretary of State Bowen) congratulated me for pushing for the first ever hearing on open source software for elections. Now the subject is coming up regularly at the local and federal level too.
Last year we sponsored AB 2097, which was carried by Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg (Los Angeles). This year, Assemblymember Krekorian (Burbank) is determined to see his election reform bill passed. It is set to be heard in the Assembly elections committee next Tuesday (Apr 17). It is similar to AB 2097 and has a more gradual timetable for implementation.
Our efforts in San Francisco might be the most interesting yet. The impact of decisions there could be seen sooner than federal or state legislation. The Board of Supervisors' Budget & Finance committee refused to move on the pending Sequoia contract because they insisted on technology disclosure language.
Now, officials in San Francisco are looking at adopting policy and/or legislation that would require full public disclosure of all voting system technology. This Wednesday, (Apr 18), the Elections Commission will discuss a general policy statement on the subject.
Stay tuned as we move forward. Your attention and support will help ensure success.
Open Voting Consortium CEO to Keynote Red Hat Summit 2007
*Open Voting Consortium CEO to Keynote Red Hat Summit 2007*
Alan Dechert Joins the Growing Panel of Visionaries for the May
Conference in San Diego
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Red Hat (NYSE:RHT), the world's leading
provider of open source solutions, today announced the co-founder,
president and CEO of the Open Voting Consortium, Alan Dechert will
keynote at the third annual Red Hat Summit in San Diego, Calif. The Red
Hat Summit will take place May 9-11, 2007 at the Sheraton San Diego
Hotel and Marina.
The Red Hat Summit 2007 will bring together partners and customers of
