[E-voting] Nedap machines now banned in Germany

[Rop Gonggrijp]

Today the court ruled that the German "Bundeswahlgeraeteverordnung",  
the law that deals with voting machines, is unconstitutional and void.  
Much more importantly, they gave German citizens the constitutional  
right to see al phases of the voting process (in its entirety) happen  
before their very eyes. They strongly rejected the notion that  
'delegated trust' can ever be a replacement for trust that comes from  
(the possibility of) direct observation or that observers can be  
required to posess any kind of specialised technical knowledge.

General consensus among independent observers is that it's hard to  
imagine any kind of voting machines or internet voting in Germany in  
the next few decades. More analysis as well as translated source  
material will follow. It's 50 pages in all, and an English translation  
should be available in the next few days. Prepare to cry (at least I  
did). There's something very moving to having the highest court in a  
large country eloquently come to grips with the underlying issues and  
then calmly but decidedly sticking it to government almost exactly  
like it happens that one recurring dream.

Now if only these judges were the United World Federal Constitutional  
Court. And if you ever meet Ulrich and/or Joachim Wiesner: buy them a  
drink.


Rop