Audits

In order to survey the proper functioning of the electoral system, the Consejo Nacional Electoral together with Smartmatic, observers and representatives of the different political factions, performed several evaluations of the auditable voting system.  

In these tests both the software and the hardware of the solution were examined, as well as the transmission and tallying of the data.

The following audits should be highlighted: an engineering test, a software audit, a technology infrastructure audit, a pre dispatch audit and a closing audit when the voting process was over. Test results were validated by the political parties, the CNE and Smartmatic.

Engineering tests (August 1): In 366 points throughout Venezuela, the Electoral Power validated the deployed technological infrastructure and the proper functioning of the networks through which the electoral data will be transmitted: landlines, cellular and satellite phones. The technological transmission platform was verified by the joint work of the CNE, Smartmatic, CANTV, officers of the CEOFAB (the Venezuelan army’s strategic command) and school districts from all over the country.

Voting software audits (August 9 to 11): Technicians from the political parties and the Electoral Power evaluated the programming of the machines. Smartmatic representatives explaines the preparation process for the machines and each of their modules, as well as the environment, voting and diagnose manager, for its exhaustive analysis.

Technology Infrastructure Audit (September 6, 2010): Technicians from different civil organizations and the Electoral Power attended this audit where they revised the different components related to the operating system and access to safety devices in order to clarify doubts about the infrastructure's designs and technical languages.

Pre-Dispatch Audit (September 19, 2010): 189 voting machines were audited with the participation of technicians from civil and political organizations. For the first time ever, the Electoral Power invited ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from 20 countries to attend this audit that recreated many of the technical processes that will be executed on election day.

Closing audit (September 26): At the end of Election Day a closing audit took place. This consisted of the opening of over 54% of the safekeeping boxes where the physical voting vouchers were stored, so that they were compared with the tallying act that had been printed and sent. This audit was open to the public.