Source code of "ComputerCount"
Ben Minerds (PuZZleDucK) made this Freedom of Information request to Victorian Electoral Commission
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear Victorian Electoral Commission,
Could you please provide the source code of the "ComputerCount" software as supplied to BMM Compliance in 2012 and used in Victorian elections.
If possible, please treat this as an administrative/informal request. Otherwise please proceed with my request as a formal FOI request.
Yours faithfully,
Ben Minerds (PuZZleDucK)
Dear Mr Minerds
Thank you for your email below.
The VEC's Election Management System (EMS) has a module (ComputerCount) which allows the VEC to calculate the result of an election based on either a preferential or proportional representation counting method. The calculation module implements the relevant counting methods in two ways, firstly by using a work flow that provides the logic on how to handle the counting process and a C# component that calculates the results at the relevant points in the work flows. These two components are those the VEC engaged BMM Testlabs to review and all details (including the source code) are available on the VEC's web site at this web page - https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Elections/Ele...
Regards
Sue Lang
Communication Manager
Dear Sue Lang,
Thanks for the information, but that page was what prompted my request
I would have thought that the testing facility would have been provided a complete and functional program and not just the two snippets provided on the VEC web site
Some of the findings in the BMM report seem not possible to verify with those snippets (such as verifying test cases, review of rng and use cases to name a few)
My interest lies in the state/environment around which the functions are called. The snippets supplied do not ensure that the inputs are not tampered with before proceeding, nor the outputs before displaying for example
Please confirm that the only code submitted to the test labs was the two snippets provided on the VEC site if this is the case
Otherwise please let my clarify that my request is for the complete code submitted for testing
Yours sincerely,
Ben Minerds (PuZZleDucK)
Dear Mr Minerds
I can confirm that BMM Testlabs only reviewed the code that is published on the VEC’s website as these are the elements of application that calculate the result of an election.
Regards
Sue Lang
Manager Communication