GLA presses ahead with e-counting despite concerns - V3.co.uk - formerly vnunet.com

GLA presses ahead with e-counting despite concerns - V3.co.uk - formerly vnunet.com:

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is to press ahead with the tendering process for a firm to run its electronic voting system in the 2012 elections, despite ongoing concerns among regulators and civil liberties campaigners over the costs and security of e-counting.

In 2008, the Electoral Commission and Greater London Returning Officer voiced concerns about the e-counting arrangements for that year’s elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly, and asked the government to provide an analysis on whether the method made sense economically and democratically.

The GLA conducted the analysis itself and sent copies of the document to the Electoral Commission in June as well as civil liberties organisations such as the Open Rights Group (ORG) to review.

The Electoral Commission has said it will either endorse or reject the analysis by next Wednesday. The ORG, meanwhile, has criticised GLA plans to go ahead with the tendering process for e-counting without approval as undemocratic.