Communications verification, testing and maintenance are essential to minimize the risks of using technology. Communications should be verified and thoroughly tested before the system is used for a 'live' electoral event (both on its own and in conjunction with associated hardware and software). After successful testing, communications systems will need appropriate maintenance to ensure they will perform effectively when needed.
The level of importance of the technology will impact on the degree of rigour applied to verifying, testing and maintaining communications systems. For a system to be used for a crucial electoral function, such as an electronic voting system, the degree of rigour needed will be high.
While this and the two accompanying sections separate hardware, software and communications into three topics, their operation is often interdependent, and the following procedures may need to be carried out with all three elements in combination.
Communications verification
For a highly important system such as an electronic voting system, it is often appropriate to employ an independent testing authority to perform system verification tests. For less important systems, system verification could be conducted in-house.
Communications verification tests (otherwise known as qualification tests) could include:
- testing of communications under conditions simulating expected real-life conditions
- ensuring the communications system conforms with local environmental requirements, including shelter, space, furnishings and fittings, electrical power supply and relevant extremes of temperature, humidity and pollution
- ensuring appropriate documentation is adequate and complete
- verifying that the communications system is capable of performing under expected normal conditions and possible abnormal conditions
- ensuring appropriate security measures are in place and that they conform to acceptable standards
- ensuring that appropriate quality assurance measures are in place
Communications testing
Communications testing is usually more detailed and thorough than verification. Testing is needed to ensure that every component of a system is operating as it should, and that the system is performing exactly in accordance with the specific local requirements.
For an important system, a structured testing program can be established to ensure that all aspects of a system are tested. Testing measures that could be followed include:
- developing a set of test criteria
- applying functional tests to determine whether the test criteria have been met
- applying qualitative assessments to determine whether the test criteria have been met
- conducting tests in both 'laboratory' and 'real life' conditions
- conducting tests over an extended period of time, to ensure systems can perform consistantly
- conducting 'load tests', simulating as closly as possible a variety of 'real life' conditions using or exceeding the amounts of data that could be expected in an actual situation
- verifying that 'what goes in' is 'what comes out', by entering known data and checking that the output agrees with the input
Communications maintenance
After a communications system has been verified, tested and implemented, it must continue to be maintained. Maintenance routines will vary depending on the type and complexity of the technology. Many communications systems will come with a maintenance schedule or program recommended by the manufacturer or supplier. Maintenance could be provided by the manufacturer or supplier as part of the purchase agreement.
Systems should be maintained to ensure that they continue to perform to the level demonstrated during the system testing stage. Ongoing monitoring or testing procedures may need to be put in place to ensure that maintenance needs are identified and met where necessary. Where systems are in long-term use, a mechanism could be put in place to monitor feedback from users as another means to determine the need for maintenance and modification.
Where modifications to communications are made as a result of system maintenance or upgrades, it may be necessary to instigate further rounds of system verification and testing to ensure that standards are still met by the modified system.
Reference: Performance and Test Standards for Punchcard, Marksense, and Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems, [United States] Federal Election Commission, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC, January 1990
