Studying the Nedap/Groenendaal ES3B voting computer: a computer security perspective

  • Authors:
  • Rop Gonggrijp;Willem-Jan Hengeveld

  • Affiliations:
  • Stichting "Wij vertrouwen stemcomputers niet", Amsterdam, The Netherlands;Stichting "Wij vertrouwen stemcomputers niet", Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Venue:
  • EVT'07 Proceedings of the USENIX Workshop on Accurate Electronic Voting Technology
  • Year:
  • 2007

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Abstract

The Nedap/Groenendaal ES3B voting computer is being used by 90% of the Dutch voters. With very minor modifications, the same computer is also being used in parts of Germany and France. In Ireland the use of this machine is currently on hold after significant doubts were raised concerning its suitability for elections. This paper details how we installed new software in Nedap ES3B voting computers. It details how anyone, when given brief access to the devices at any time before the election, can gain complete and virtually undetectable control over the election results. It also shows how radio emanations from an unmodified ES3B can be received at several meters distance and used to tell what is being voted. We conclude that the Nedap ES3B is unsuitable for use in elections, that the Dutch regulatory framework surrounding e-voting currently insufficiently addresses security, and we pose that not enough thought has been given to the trust relationships and verifiability issues inherent to DRE class voting machines.