In the protected environment of the Ministry of Electronic Governance (MEG), the procedure for the trusted construction of the source code for the voting machines for the upcoming early parliamentary elections on April 19 was successfully completed today. The process was public and was under the direct control of four expert teams, representatives of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and international observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Minister of e-Government Georgi Sharkov emphasized that the process was carried out according to an established methodology, encompassing a detailed inspection of the hardware and mechanical parts by the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology (BIM), software security assessment and precise functional tests.
The unique hash code generated today is the main guarantee that the software in the polling stations will be identical to the one built in the controlled environment.
This “digital fingerprint“ will be printed on every control receipt from the machine and on every machine ballot on April 19.
The verified hash code is: 9E B8 B9 09 CB 02 59 80 2B C1 ED 66 D5 EF A0 76 A4 CA 9C 18 E6 C6 86 A5 9B DF 81 B2 13 73 30 10.
Minister Sharkov also announced that for the first time an organization has been created for an unprecedented scale of control: “Our desire is to check 100% of the machines that are shipped. The check takes no more than one minute of additional time, so we have no concerns about slowing down the process. We have created optimal coordination so that employees can more effectively check the devices during the installation process and not delay logistics“.
For this purpose, over 110 civil servants have been involved, who will perform individual validation of each device. The first checked machines will be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by April 8-9 for transportation to 55 countries, where there are a total of 129 polling stations.
In response to media questions regarding the provision of a response to correct possible malfunctions with the machines during election day, the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, Kamelia Neykova, explained that technical support is provided with a response time of 20 to 30 minutes for each station. “Technical problems must be eliminated as quickly as possible and in no way delay, let alone suspend, the voting of voters“, Ms. Neykova was categorical. She specified that the transition to paper voting can be decided by the REC only in the event of an irreparable breakdown of a specific machine.
In conclusion, Minister Sharkov emphasized the state's commitment to complete security of the vote: “ Our goal is complete transparency and peace of mind for every Bulgarian citizen that their vote will be counted accurately through the software certified today.“