Local Body STV Vote Counting Software and General Election Software
Isla Stewart made this Official Information request to Department of Internal Affairs
The request was refused by Department of Internal Affairs.
From: Isla Stewart
Dear Department of Internal Affairs,
I would like to request a copy of the software provided to councils for the purposes of vote counting in the 2019 Local Government Elections. To be specific, I mean the uncompiled source code.
Yours faithfully,
Isla Stewart
From: Isla Stewart
Dear Department of Internal Affairs,
Apologies, title was mistakenly not updated. The request for general election software has been sent to the Electoral Commission.
Yours faithfully,
Isla Stewart
From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs
Tçnâ koe Isla,
I have understood that this request was sent to the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) in error, and that you are now withdrawing your request, as it was intended for the Electoral Commission.
If I have misunderstood and you did want to make a request to the Department, please reply to let me know. Otherwise, please do not hesitate to contact us in future if you have any further enquiries.
Ngâ mihi,
Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence
Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | www.dia.govt.nz
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From: Isla Stewart
Dear Michelle Reed,
Apologies for the confusion. I was referring to the title of my OIA request which made reference to General Election software alongside Local Elections software. My understanding is that the DIA holds software for Local Elections but not General Elections.
To clarify, I would like to request a copy of the uncompiled source code of the programs provided to councils for the purposes of vote counting in the 2019 Local Government Elections.
Yours sincerely,
Isla Stewart
From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs
Tēnā koe Isla,
Thank you for clarifying in relation to your OIA request to the Department of Internal Affairs (included with this email)
You have requested: a copy of the uncompiled source code of the programs provided to councils for the purposes of vote counting in the 2019 Local Government Elections.
The Department will provide its response to your request as soon as practicable and within twenty working days. The 20th working day is 28 January 2020
Please note that in cases where the Department’s response provides information that is identified to be of general public interest, the response may also be published on the Department of Internal Affairs website. If the Department publishes its response to your OIA request, all personal information, including your name and contact details, will be removed.
Ngā mihi
Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence
Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | www.dia.govt.nz
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From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs
Hello Isla,
Apologies - I must correct a typo in the subject line of my previous email. Your Official Information Act request reference number is in fact 1920-0474.
Ngā mihi,
Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence
Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | www.dia.govt.nz
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From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs
Good afternoon Isla,
Apologies - I have a further correction. Your request was received on 10 December 2019. The Department will provide its response to your request as soon as practicable and within twenty working days. The 20th working day is 29 January 2020.
Ngā mihi
Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence
Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | www.dia.govt.nz
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From: Sarah Thessman
Department of Internal Affairs
Good afternoon Isla
Please find the attached response from the Department of Internal Affairs
concerning your recent OIA request.
Kind regards
Sarah Thessman | Graduate Policy Analyst, Ministerial Advice
Policy, Regulation and Communities (PRC)
Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua
Direct Dial: +64 4 495 9335| Extn: 5335 |
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
[1]www.dia.govt.nz
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dia.govt.nz/
From: Isla Stewart
Dear Sarah Thessman,
Thank you, I appreciate the time you've taken to respond to this request.
Yours sincerely,
Isla Stewart
From: Andrew Freeth
Department of Internal Affairs
Kia ora Isla
I am writing regarding the Department’s Single Transferable Vote (STV)
calculator. When you requested the uncompiled source code for the STV
calculator in December last year, we were unable to provide it to you as
we do not hold, or have access to, a copy of it.
Since that correspondence, the Department has agreed to release the STV
calculator programme to a member of the public with the following caveats.
The STV Calculator is a tool developed for the Department and accordingly
the Department retains all rights in relation to it, including copyright.
To date the Department has only provided the STV Calculator to electoral
officers for use in local body elections and in accordance with strict
licence agreements. To make sure we don’t damage those relationships and
to protect the Department’s commercial interests, we need to make it clear
that you are only being provided the calculator so you can inspect it. DIA
is not granting you the right to copy, distribute, modify or in any way
deal with the STV Calculator other than for that purpose. Again, the
Department retains full ownership of the copyright of the STV Calculator
and will take such action as it deems necessary to protect its rights in
that regard.
Although this is not the uncompiled source code to the STV calculator, we
would like to offer to release the programme to you with the same caveats.
Please let me know if you would be like to receive a copy of the programme
and I will email it to you.
Ngâ mihi
Andrew
Andrew Freeth | Senior Policy Analyst | Operational Policy | Ministerial
Advice, Monitoring and Operations
The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
DDI: 04 495 9301
45 Pipitea Street | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| [1]www.dia.govt.nz
[2]DIA Logo - Black
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dia.govt.nz/
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- Download a zip file of all correspondence
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Isla Stewart left an annotation ()
A Ombudsman complaint has been made as under the OIA Act, information held by independent contractors are deemed to be held by the agency.
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