2024-09-21 16:02:41
Everyone should be convinced that they cannot be manipulated through the use of machines, he pointed out
We intend to increase trust in machine voting. This was stated by Valentin Mundrov, Minister of e-Government.
“Let me put it this way that Mr. Iolovski and I have always been a team and we are able to do everything possible so that the Ministry of e-Government and the state digitize and we manage to raise the level of digitization in the state,” Valentin Mundrov told BNT .
On the occasion of the scandal with the leaked hashcodes and the cancellation of the machine vote in 2023, Mundrov stated:
“And for this reason, today I showed the Prime Minister, the hall where it is authenticated and the way in which this thing is monitored. Even a thought in terms of being filmed or not following the rules can no longer be happened We have good enough surveillance, the hall is locked at all times while working all personal electronic devices, not only personal, all electronic devices are left outside the hall, working with computers that do not have a hard drive and Wi-Fi connection .”
Today, the serial numbers of 10 voting machines that will go through certification of compliance before the upcoming elections were drawn.
“These 10 machines, in fact, three of them are for the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology, which are also involved in the authentication. The other institution involved is the Bulgarian Institute of Standardization. The Bulgarian Institute of Metrology, the Bulgarian Institute of Standardization and the Ministry of e-Government must to do the authentication, as it is by law. is sure that there is not the slightest hint of any type of manipulation,” explained the caretaker minister.
Valentin Mundrov pointed out that there are no invalid ballots in the machine vote.
“Let’s not forget that, firstly, with the machine vote, we don’t have the possibility of invalid ballots. Every ballot that came out of the machine is valid after it is put into the ballot box. Information about the votes used in the machine is stored on this machine. “
Asked how the vote can be manipulated by machine, he commented.
“I don’t know. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do. To make everyone convinced that through the use of machines they can’t be manipulated. It’s for this reason that everything we do is open and in front of the eyes of every single citizen.”
The acting minister of e-governance commented why more than 140 machines gave defects in the last elections.
“These were no more than 1% – 1.5%, let’s say, of all the machines that were used in the elections. From this point of view, those defects that are, yes, should be investigated, but let’s not forget that we are currently in the build-up period and only have 5 weeks until election day.Perhaps the speculation that could lead to this inspection would be very high.
“From the point of view of exactly what the problem was. Let me also note that the machines are already out of warranty. I think they were purchased more than 3 years ago. So that may have some impact,” said the Minister of Electronics management answered the question of what he meant by “speculation”.
When asked if it could turn out that there will not be a machine vote in view of the dialogue that is being conducted between the two companies that are related to the machines, Mundrov answered:
“I hope things will be resolved. Yes, a little, let me say, it is strange that we have only one applicant to carry out the processes that are in the preparation of the machines. I very much hope that, since this company is after all Bulgarian, let it work and from the point of view really, as the prime minister said, not to blow up the election process.”