Election Reform

garybeck

(10,041 posts) Wed Jun 20, 2012, 12:04 AM Jun 2012

shoot down this election solution

Regardless of the voting method post a photo of every ballot online.

Every ballot has a unique identifier only the voter can identify.

Dre ballots are posted as electronic image files also showing unique identifiers

Anyone can print and count the ballots and compare to official results.

Anyone can verify their own ballot online with the unique identifier.

Audits could be done by anyone with resources.

The only argument I've heard against this is that you lose the true secret ballot if people can prove who they voted for. I'm just not sure that consequence outweighs the benefits.

6 replies

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shoot down this election solution (Original Post) garybeck Jun 2012 OP

Voting is too important to leave in the hands of a few corporations with the secrets Angry Dragon Jun 2012 #1

Perhaps we need something like Politicalboi Jun 2012 #2

hcpb just isnt going to happen garybeck Jun 2012 #3

There is no reason we cannot have a system that preserves both anonymity & verifiability. limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #4

here's the issue as I've heard garybeck Jun 2012 #5

I worry about drunk abusive husbands beating their wives if they vote different than the husband. limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #6

Angry Dragon

(36,693 posts)

1. Voting is too important to leave in the hands of a few corporations with the secrets

Reply to garybeck (Original post)

Wed Jun 20, 2012, 12:11 AM

Jun 2012

no more proprietary secrets

Politicalboi

(15,189 posts)

2. Perhaps we need something like

Reply to garybeck (Original post)

Wed Jun 20, 2012, 02:16 AM

Jun 2012

Jury duty, but only for vote duty. Get groups of people to hand count the votes. Find out which party the register and split the groups even. Why not make it everyone's duty to participate. All done on video and made public.

garybeck

(10,041 posts)

3. hcpb just isnt going to happen

Reply to Politicalboi (Reply #2)

Wed Jun 20, 2012, 08:23 AM

Jun 2012

Election officials do not want to go back to hand counts. Period. It just isn't going to happen.

My solution does not involve a aignificant amount of time or money.

It is the equivalent of letting anyone hand count the ballots who wants to.

limpyhobbler

(8,244 posts)

4. There is no reason we cannot have a system that preserves both anonymity & verifiability.

Reply to garybeck (Original post)

Thu Jun 21, 2012, 10:35 AM

Jun 2012

It should be very simple to devise such a process. No need to sacrifice either.

garybeck

(10,041 posts)

5. here's the issue as I've heard

Reply to limpyhobbler (Reply #4)

Thu Jun 21, 2012, 12:58 PM

Jun 2012

the only problem with something like my proposal above is that people can prove how they voted. when that happens, someone could pay you, or force you to vote a certain way and then when you can prove to them that you voted that way, they get what they want.

so, if you place your vote, and then share your secret code with someone paying you or forcing you to vote a certain way, then THEY can go online to see your ballot and verify.

to me this is not a huge concern. they could institute high penalties for paying or forcing anyone to vote a certain way. They could also make people check a box indicating no one paid or forced them to vote. that would cover it in my book.

then, open up the ballots to anyone who wants to see them. Let us all view and print and count them ourselves.

then we can stop worrying about the vote counting problems and go back to the issues that help us decide who to vote for.

limpyhobbler

(8,244 posts)

6. I worry about drunk abusive husbands beating their wives if they vote different than the husband.