News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Bulgaria implements biometric voting system

Friday, January 29, 2010

The Bulgarian Parliament has begun using a new biometric system designed to prevent people from casting fraudulent votes in parliamentary sessions by using another’s voting card, according to a Sofia News Agency article.

While the Assembly Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, has referred to the new system as a success with minor bugs being worked out, members of the opposition party have painted a picture of the technology being degrading and resembling police methods.

The new system sees the members of parliament voting by scanning their fingers in order to log-in to the system for the vote. Should log-in fail after three attempts, parliament is still recognizing the old system of a simple hand-raising to cast a vote.

Despite many of the members citing the new practice as humiliating Speaker Tsacheva holds firm that the practice is both common in other countries and has reported no difficulties with the deputies registering.

Read the full story here. [end] 

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