Electronic Voting Machine - Brazil

Weighing a little more than 17 pounds, the device is composed of a numeric keypad and a small LCD monitor. The voter can key-in the number of his/her candidate of choice and is able to verify the result of this action through a digital picture of the candidatedisplayed on the small monitor. After verifying this operation, the voter can then punch a green key to confirm his/her vote, or an orange key to correct it. A white key provides the voter with the chance to cast a blank vote. There are also machines with an audio device, through the use of headphones, which enable blind citizens to listen to their choice and confirm it based on the selected numbers of each candidate by using the keypad provided with inscriptions in Braille.
Prior to Election Day, the programme that enables the machines to operate is audited by all political parties registered for that context. Passwords, encrypted information and other highly sophisticated and modern security methods, similar to the ones used in banking automation, reduce to minimal levels the possibility of an electronic fraud. The encrypted results are stored in a disk and are taken to designated tallying centers. Not even the maker of the machines has access to the encrypted codes.
At the end of the voting process, a further measure is provided through a printout ofthe results obtained from each voting machine, issued in five original copies forlater verification, if needed. Using its own private network provided with highlyprotective system, TSE conducts the processing of the results.

Political Development, New Technologies.

In Brazil voting is mandatory. Beyond the measures taken with protection and secrecy of the information during the vote tabulation, the Voting Machine, used in the 2000 elections had the capacity to operate more than 12 hours without requiring external energy source. The devices were developed to be used across the country, regardless the climatic conditions and of the difficulties associated with transporting it to the more remote areas of the country.
By developing a partnership with the Computer Science Department of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, the Center for Technology in Aeronautics (CTA) and the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), CERTI formed a study group to discuss the future of the Brazilian Voting Machines. This group is conducting research on the development and further technological enhancement of the machine with respect to its connectivity, security aspects, performance, functionality improvement geared towards benefiting the citizen, as well as, promoting further studies about the adaptability of the technology in projects involving the Digital Government "e-Gov" in Brazil.