The Communications Department has told the federal parliamentary committee examining electoral matters that it backs a limited trial of electronic voting. The department suggests using the myGov portal — a secure website used by about three million Centrelink, child support and Medicare customers — for any trial. Abul Rizvi, the department’s deputy secretary for the digital economy, yesterday told the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters it was inevitable Australia would embrace online voting. … He said computer equipment was now cheaper and electronic voting at polling stations could be done through a “bring-your-own-device’’ model. “You are still voting physically at a physical polling place but are voting using an electronic device that is connected to a local system using your own device that you’ve brought in,’’ Mr Rizvi said. “Yes there are security issues … but those can be addressed, and that I would suggest reduces your costs quite considerably.’’
… Committee chairman Tony Smith said experts had told the committee internet voting was highly risky and online systems could be hacked. “I accept that there will always be systems that can — if the person is sophisticated enough, well-resourced enough, sufficiently motivated enough — that they will be able to break into it,’’ Mr Rizvi said. There were concerns also about anonymity and coercion, he noted.
Full Article: Push to trial BYO i-vote at federal poll | The Australian.