Secure internet voting system with bootable disk

Abstract

An Internet voting system is provided with security against malicious software by using a bootable CD ROM to boot voter client machines for use in elections.

1 . In an electronic voting system having at least one voter client, the improvement comprising: 
 a read only storage medium operably configured to boot the voter client for exclusive execution of program instructions found only on the read only storage medium at the voter client during the performance of an election, the exclusive execution of program instructions excepting system device drivers as needed for operation of the voter client.    
   
   
       2 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  including means for verifying system device drivers in use by the voter client to assure that the drivers are not corrupted.  
   
   
       3 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said red only storage medium is a CD ROM.  
   
   
       4 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  further including an election server operably configured for Internet communications with the voter client.  
   
   
       5 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 4  including means for providing multiple layer authentication to verify and authorize the voter client to participate in an election.  
   
   
       6 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  including means for writing to a second disk all system information and device drivers that are required for operation of the voter client and which are not found on the read only storage medium.  
   
   
       7 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  including means for diagnosing whether a read mechanism for the read only storage device is capable of booting the voter client.  
   
   
       8 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 7  including means for making a floppy startup disk when the read mechanism for the read only storage device is not capable of booting the voter client.  
   
   
       9 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 8  including means for using the floppy startup disk to transfer program control to the read only storage device for exclusive execution of program instructions found on the read only storage device.  
   
   
       10 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 1  including said read only storage medium including a numerical server address for use in providing a sponsored Internet connection.  
   
   
       11 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 10  including a plurality of voter clients and a corresponding plurality of read only storage media including a group of server addresses distributed among said read only storage media.  
   
   
       12 . The electronic voting system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the group of server addresses is distributed among the plurality of voter clients to provide a voter client to server ratio sufficiently low to permit an election server to prevent a denial of service attack.  
   
   
       13 . A method of operating an Internet voting system to protect the system from the operation of malicious software, the method comprising the steps of: 
 distributing read only memory storage devices to a plurality of prospective voters, the read only storage devices containing machine instructions for booting a voter client for exclusive execution of program instructions found only on the read only storage medium at the voter client during the performance of an election, the exclusive execution of program instructions excepting system device drivers as needed for operation of the voter client;    running election program instructions found on the read only storage devices on voter client machines;    establishing an Internet connection; and    voting by voters through use of the voter clients while the voter client is executing program instructions found on the read only memory storage devices.    
   
   
       14 . The method of operating an Internet voting system as set forth in  claim 13  including a step of obtaining information required to operate the voter client by polling the voter client prior to the step of running election program instructions.  
   
   
       15 . The method of operating an Internet voting system as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said step of establishing an Internet connection is performed over a sponsored Internet connection.