Verification

Verification (of an Election) in Election Law

or several stages of an electoral process (voter registration, counting, etc.). In principle, this is done by an impartial third party. An election may be verified, to ensure that operations have complied with the electoral law and that they have conformed to international standards. The goal is to determine whether an election has been democratic, free, genuine and transparent. This operation can give rise to recommendations on how to improve the electoral process.

Verification of Vote Count in Election Law

Process by which every stage of the counting of the results is checked, so as to ensure that the procedures and laws governing it are respected in order to guarantee the integrity of the results. For example, this could involve recounting the number of ballots in the box against the number of signatures on the voter list of the polling station.

Verification in Biometrics

Signature Verification

This behavioural biometric involves the analysis of the way in which a person signs their name. Signature biometrics are often referred to as dynamic signature verification (DSV). With this technique, the manner in which someone signs is as important as the static shape of their finished signature. For example, the angle at which the pen is held, the time taken to sign, the velocity and acceleration of the signature, the pressure exerted, and the number of times the pen is lifted from the paper, all can be measured and analyzed as unique behavioural characteristics. As DSV is not based on a static image, forgery is considered to be difficult.

Signature data can be captured via a special pen or tablet, or both. The pen-based method incorporates sensors inside the writing instrument, while the tablet method relies on sensors imbedded in a writing surface to detect the unique signature characteristics. Another variation has been developed known as acoustic emission. This measures the sound that is generated as an individual writes their signature on a paper document.

In the 1990s, the Chase Manhattan Bank tested DSV to identify corporate clients initiating transactions. Today, a number of American hospitals, pharmacies and insurance firms use this biometric technique to authenticate electronic documents.

Speaker Verification

Voice-related biometrics should not be confused with speech recognition computer software that recognize words as they are spoken. Biometric systems involve the verification of the speaker’s identity based on numerous characteristics, such as cadence, pitch, and tone. Speaker verification is considered a hybrid behavioural and physiological biometric because the voice pattern is determined, to a large degree, by the physical shape of the throat and larynx, although it can be altered by the user.

One-to-one verification is the preferred application. The technology is easy to use and does not require a great deal of user education. However, background noise greatly affects how well the system operates. Speaker verification works with a microphone or with a regular telephone handset. It is well suited to telephone-based applications where identity has to be verified remotely.60 In 1997, when one Canadian bank undertook customer surveys on the acceptability of biometrics, the one technique that was not rejected was voice recognition.

In May 1999, it was announced that more than 5,000 personal computers with speaker verification systems had been sold on the Home Shopping Network since mid-April.62 Voice recognition also is being integrated into security systems for online banking and electronic commerce.63 One European automobile manufacturer even investigated the possibility of incorporating speaker verification into its ignition systems. (George Cole, “Giving Voice to Security,” Financial Times, September 15, 1995, , n.d.)

Source: Paper of the Ontario’s Privacy and Information Commissioner, 1999

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Notes

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See Also

• Election Law
• Electoral Laws
• Electoral Legislation