Update: The minutes of the hearing are now online.
After the e-voting pen (Wahlstift), that should have been used in the upcoming communal elections in Hamburg in February 2008, was hacked by people from the Chaos Computer Club two weeks ago, the three parties in the Hamburg parliament (Hamburgische Bürgerschaft) agreed to set up a hearing of experts regarding the issue.
The hearing of experts regarding the e-voting pen will take place on Friday, 9th of November 2007 at 5 p.m. in the town hall (room 151). Those hearings are public and you can come without prior registration. Actually, everyone (that includes you) is invited to join the hearing by the head of the constitutional board of the parliament: Der Vorsitzende des Ausschusses, Dr. A.W. Heinrich Langhein (CDU), bittet Sie, an dieser Sitzung teilzunehmen. (from the agenda). At the hearing will be a number of people (also quoted from the agenda):
Eingeladene Auskunftspersonen:
Herr Prof. Dr. Klaus Brunnstein, Universität Hamburg
Herr Matthias Moehl, election.de, Hamburg
Herr Prof. Dr. Joachim Posegga, Universität Hamburg
Herr Prof. Dr. Joachim W. Schmidt, TU Hamburg-Harburg
Herr Dr. Roland Vogt, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche
Intelligenz GmbH, Saarbrücken
Chaos Computer Club e.V., Hamburg
Apart from the Chaos Computer Club folks, there will be two professors from our faculty (Mr. Brunnstein and Mr. Posegga). I wonder, what Mr. Brunnstein will tell us about the e-voting pen. I had the chance to be at a number of introductory lectures he gave during our o-weks and it was always very entertaining.
If you can make it on Friday, join the hearing. I think it is always a good idea to demonstrate your interest in important topics and this one is very important. This might also turn out to be quite interesting, not only, if you’re into computer science.
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Do you know that room? It isn’t the plenary hall, is it? I wonder whether there will be enough seats for all the spectators that will surely be there. I don’t want to drive all the way to the city on friday evening just to be send back at the door…
Ich hoffe, auch der Abgeordnete Claußen (CDU) nutzt die Gelegenheit am Freitag, sich zu informieren. Der bringt es nämlich fertig, noch immer keinerlei Zweifel am Wahlstift zu haben. Und deswegen habe ich ihm einen kurzen Brief geschrieben.
Bis Freitag.
Zettmann.
@hayes: Yes, it’s not the plenary hall. Board meetings are never held there. I’m not sure if I know that room. I was at some meetings of the Wissenschaftsausschuss (science board) last year, but never at this room I think. To clarify: You will most likely not be sent away (especially, if you come a bit early). Normally, meetings are rescheduled to a larger room, if there are not enough seats for all people that want attend. It’s a political thing. Our representatives normally try very hard to make us happy. We’re all voters, you know. So they will try very hard to get everyone, who’s interested, into the meeting. This was also the case with those science board meetings I attended. This is of course not a guarantee, but I would say it’s safe to come.
Ich dachte immer, Ausschußsitzungen seien nicht-öffentlich. In der Tagesordnung steht:
Ort: Rathaus, Raum 151
Würde mich sehr freuen, hier zu lesen, wie es war.
@Sanníe: Ich werde wohl etwas darüber schreiben, aber nicht vor Montag. Von der Bürgerschafts-Seite: “Alle Ausschüsse tagen – mit Ausnahme des Eingabenausschusses – in der Regel öffentlich. Besucher können ohne Anmeldung daran teilnehmen.” Also ruhig mal häufiger hingehen.
I wrote something about it in my blog, now that the memory of the event is still fresh. To sum it up, I’m a quite disappointed. I hoped that the ccc guys could achieve more but who could foresee, that the delegates had rather been entertained by a blinky hacking show than by the pure facts, which is that there will always be a new exploit, no matter how much time or money you afford.
I think we lost that one. Another bad hit to democracy after the fall of the 10th article of our constitution today.
And by the way, Patrick (regarding your comment above): As you may have noticed, there were no seats and no water for the voters… ;-) At last one delagate offered me a bottle of applejuice, after he met me in the restrooms, drinking out of the water-tap.