1. Scytl Secure Online Voting for PWD
UNESCO Conference on the Role of ICT for Persons with
© SCYTL Group 2014
Disabilities
November 2014
Anand G. Dhuri
Director Indian Subcontinent
Anand.dhuri@scytl.com

2. About Scytl
Overview
70% Year over
Year Growth
+80% market share
in online voting with
Worldwide leader
in secure electronic voting &
election modernization software solutions
19 out of 21 countries
using our system
Strong scientific
background
university spin-off
Largest patent
portfolio in the
industry
41 patents worldwide
VC-backed
Vulcan Capital, SAP Ventures, Vy
Capital, Adams Street Partners,
Industry Ventures, Balderton Capital,
Nauta Capital & Spinnaker Invest
© SCYTL Group 2014 2.

3. © SCYTL Group 2014
About Scytl
Global implementation footprint
+500 electoral experts across the globe
supporting elections in +38 countries

4. Background
Challenges to Vote
Accessible Voting Technology
Case Study: State of Victoria
Conclusions

5. “The opportunity to be involved in political life, whether by standing for elected office, joining
a political party, or following political news stories in the media, is at the heart of what it
means to live in a democratic society” (1)
“Inclusion of persons with disabilities is fundamental to democracy. Without the inclusion of
all citizens, a country is not a true democracy. Including persons with disabilities in political
life also provides the basis for mainstreaming their inclusion in all aspects of society” (2)
© SCYTL Group 2014
Background
Democracy implies inclusion by default
Democracy as inclusive process
5
(1) The right to political participation for persons with disabilities: human rights indicators – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, May 2014
(2) Equal Access How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes – IFES & NDI Report, 2014

6. © SCYTL Group 2014
Background
Political participation of persons with disabilities
is grounded in International Law
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (May 2008) -
Art 29
• American with Disability Act (1990) & Voting
Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
(1984) - polling places across the United States
must be physically accessible to people with
disabilities for federal elections.
• National Constitutions and Electoral Laws
International Law
6

7. © SCYTL Group 2014
Background
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 29 - Participation in political and public life
Ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and
fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis
with others, directly or through freely chosen
representatives, including the right and opportunity for
persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, by:
ü Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and
materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to
understand and use;
7
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities gives universal
recognition to the dignity of persons with disabilities

8. © SCYTL Group 2014
Background
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Protecting the right of persons with
disabilities to vote by secret ballot in
elections and public referendums without
intimidation, and to stand for elections, to
effectively hold office and perform all public
functions at all levels of government, facilitating
the use of assistive and new technologies
where appropriate;
• Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of
persons with disabilities as electors and to this
end, where necessary, at their request, allowing
assistance in voting by a person of their own
choice;
8

9. Background
Challenges to Vote
Accessible Voting Technology
Case Study: State of Victoria
Conclusions

10. © SCYTL Group 2014
Challenges to Vote
Barriers
Barriers Solutions Potential Role of
Technology
Legal Restrictions to vote particularly
those with psychosocial or
intellectual impairments
Change laws
Civic Education
Advocacy work of PWD
groups
Low
Admin No data disability data collected at
voter registration
No data on voting and political
participation
Change laws
Advocacy work of PWD
groups
Online/Electronic Voter
Registration
Medium
Non accessible
information
Election materials such as
election ballots, candidates
programs, non captioned political
debates, elections results..
Accessible electoral
materials
Sign language results
interpretation
Medium: online
results posting or
SMS
Implementation Insufficient accessibility of voting
procedures, polling stations, voter
assistance, no option to vote
remotely from long-term
institutions…
Accessible polling station
selection
Poll working training to
accommodate PWD
High: alternative
remote voting
channels (online &
phone voting)
10

11. Background
Challenges to Vote
Accessible Voting Technology
Case Study: State of Victoria
Conclusions

12. Accessible Voting Technology
Assistive Tools
12
Assistive tools can be use on their own or to support
more advanced technological voting solutions to ease the
access of PWD to vote:
• Handheld controller
• Tactile ballot guides
• Braille ballots
• Disable access units

13. © SCYTL Group 2014
Accessible Voting Technology
eVoting
13
• eVoting: an election system that uses encryption to
allow voters to transmit their ballot securely and
privately over the Internet.
• eVoting solutions can be used in polling stations or
remotely, in both cases using standard PCs, IPads or
smart phones as reliable electronic voting machines.
• eVoting solutions can be adapted for the specific
voters with disabilities needs, supporting multiple
assistive devices to facilitate accessibility, from screen
readers to sip & puff devices.

14. © SCYTL Group 2014
Accessible Voting Technology
eVoting Features
14
eVoting Remote Solution is available on Google
Android, Apple iOS, and Blackberry
• Offering the same security levels as its computer-based
version.
eVoting Kiosk Voting Solution is easy to use for all
voters.
• A user-friendly touch screen interface to facilitate the
voting process for all voters, regardless of literacy
level or computer proficiency.
Both solutions are flexible
• Can be adapted to any ballot format and
configuration.
• Supports multiple languages.

15. © SCYTL Group 2014
Accessible Voting Technology
Phone Voting
15
• Phone Voting: enables citizens to vote through a
standard or mobile phone privately and independently
at the polling place or from home.
• Designed to provide alternatives to absentee voting
and improve the voting experience for disabled
voters and those with language difficulties.
• An effective alternative to disabled voters and those
with language difficulties, and also gives access to
vote to voters in rural areas with minimal internet
connectivity or no computer access.

16. © SCYTL Group 2014
Accessible Voting Technology
Phone Voting Features
16
Clear audio instructions
• Makes extremely simple to vote, even in the case
of complicated ballots.
• Adapts to local pronunciation so that candidates’
names do not get confused.
• Supports other advanced features like volume and
speed control.
Ease of voting by phone
• Voters use the telephone keypad to make
selections one contest at a time. Voters can skip
any contest they are not interested in, but once
reaching the end of the ballot, they are informed of
any under voted contest and be given the
opportunity to review and revote prior to casting
their ballot.

17. © SCYTL Group 2014
Accessible Voting Technology
Phone Voting Features
17
Ease of voting by phone
• Takes into consideration usability guidelines to
facilitate the voting process and, if required,
provide voter training before the election over a
toll-free telephone line.
Control of the voting process
• Similarly to paper-based elections, the control of
the phone voting process remains exclusively
in the hands of the Electoral Board. System
administrators or any other officials with privileges
in the system cannot see or modify the votes.

18. Background
Challenges to Vote
Accessible Voting Technology
Case Study: State of Victoria
Conclusions

19. © SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
19
Project context
• The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is the entity responsible for organizing
and executing elections related to the State of Victoria, in Australia.
• Since 2004, VEC has been very sensitive to visual impaired citizens in regards to
their voting needs. In 2005 VEC decided to implement a project to allow visual impaired
citizens to vote on their own, without assistance for the 2006 Lower and Upper House
elections.
• Prior to this project visually impaired voters were unable to vote in private, as
they would require the assistance of a sighted person. The project was extended in the
2010 election to include non-English speaking voters, and interactive voice response
delivered capability.

20. The 2006 Election
© SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
20
• First election in Victoria using eVoting technology, exclusively for blind voters.
• Scytl and HP provided the software and hardware required:
• eVoting Solution for Kiosk voting, including the issuing point module to code voter
cards
• PCs with touchscreens, special keypads and headsets for visually disabled voters,
and smartcard readers
• Customized to support 12 languages and included a graphical and audio interface with
multiple features to allow voters with different visual disabilities to vote on their
own without assistance.
• VEC was able to operate the voting system with limited support from Scytl/HP.
• Scytl/HP provided overall project management services, as well as logistics support in
deploying and decommissioning 100 kiosks from multiple polling stations.

21. © SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
21
The 2010 Election
• Enhancement post 2006 election:
• New voting channel besides kiosk voting: voting using a telephone interface. An
automated phone system to allow 3,000 - 4,000 disable voters to cast their votes
by phone, in 1,000 internet linked phones at 6 separate locations, and also
allocated 150 units for use in mobile voting stations.
• New way of collecting cast e-ballots: whether cast by phone or using a kiosk,
ballots were stored in a central server, managed by VEC
• More citizens could use the system: all visually impaired citizens in Victoria, and
any Victorian citizen residing in the UK or in the other Australian states.
• Scytl and HP provided the software and hardware required for the project:
• Kiosk voting software and telephone voting software: servers and high-quality
hosting
• Personal Computers integrated inside tamper-proof voting kiosks.
• Again, VEC was able to operate the voting system with limited support from Scytl/HP.
• Before being used, the software was audited by three independent entities.

22. © SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
22
Overcoming the challenges
• Several zoom and contrasting options on kiosk screens
• Audio on kiosks and telephone
• Tested and validated by visual impaired volunteers
Accessibility for visual
impaired
• Specific cryptographic protocols to protect election
integrity and voter privacy.
• 3 different security audit processes
• System always operated and supervised by Electoral
Board and VEC
Transparency
• Kiosks can store ballots locally when connectivity to
central server is lost
• Two data centers available
• Available support teams and replacement pieces System availability

23. © SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
23
2006
2006

24. © SCYTL Group 2014
Case Study: State of Victoria
Voting for visual impaired and absentee voters
24
Outcomes
• Improved voting experience for visual impaired voters
• Increase in participation of the involved communities.
• Consolidated voting mechanism among target groups
• Second time for visual impaired voters
• First time & successful experience for absentee voters living in UK and in other
Australian states
• Successful validation of large scale deployments:
• Hardware, software and security codes/tokens
• Training and support to poll workers
• Central infrastructure
• Electoral transparency due to the different audits and supervision processes carried
out by different trusted entities

25. Background
Challenges to Vote
Accessible Voting Technology
Case Study: State of Victoria
Conclusions

26. Conclusions
Technology Potential
Technology has the potential to positively contribute to the inclusion and
accessibility of elections
Inclusion
• Technology could include special provisions for disenfranchised population
to vote independently and privately such as persons with disabilities
Access
• Technology can facilitate the vote to people with reduced mobility, not only
persons with disabilities and/or living in long-term institutions but also rural
population, people displaced by ethnic and communal conflict, diaspora …
• eVoting and Phone Voting Solutions have been successfully implemented
in a myriad of countries and used by thousand of voters
• The indigenous character of technology allows customization to the
local legislation, experts’ technology knowledge and languages.
© SCYTL Group 2014 26

27. Conclusions
Key issues to be addressed
However…
Technology is a tool: technology per se cannot ensure the
success of an election or the accessibility of all voters with
disabilities.
• Access barriers can be overcome by non-technological
solutions, simple forms of technology or advanced
technology options.
Technology should be understood by Electoral
Management Bodies, Groups of PWD and Voters with
Disabilities.
• Involvement of groups of PWD before the election is a key
success factor as well as usability guidelines and, if
required, provide voter training before the election.
© SCYTL Group 2014 27

28. Conclusions
Key issues to be addressed
Vote privacy and integrity should prevail
Any voting technology that aims to facilitate the vote to
persons with disabilities should provide end-to-end
security, preventing both internal and external attacks,
guaranteeing voters’ privacy and allowing their audit by
authorized third-parties.
Electoral Management Body pioneers
In the use of accessible voting technology happen to be in
regions with accessible electoral laws, empowered groups
of persons with disabilities, owned resources and deep
understanding of technology.
© SCYTL Group 2014 28

29. India
Office
© SCYTL Group 2014
• Anand G. Dhuri
• M/ +91 982 084 5822
• E/ anand.dhuri@scytl.com
• S/ agd260471
• W/ www.scytl.com
29

30. Your trusted partner in
election modernization
www.scytl.com