MrZach
02-08-2008, 06:35 AM
Is anyone interested in forming a corporation and trying to lobby/market this kind of machine to EVERY COUNTY IN THE REPUBLIC?
Now... before you stone me for talking about a voting MACHINE let me point out - this is not an electronic voting system, but it will be "computer assisted." I get the idea from the machines they use in my precinct in Cook County, IL - and also from my grandfather's county in Texas where, apparently, they have this EXACT system in place already but not tweaked the way I want it to be...
Here's how it works:
:D You verify that you can vote with ID and your voting information is electronically downloaded onto a card that will activate your "voting machine." This also creates a database that shows you voted, but gives no information as to which party you voted for.
:D You insert your card to activate the machine and from there voting is all done by touch screen or keyboard selection... this is an ASSISTANCE device only.
:D You final ballot is printed on paper - but not on a ROLL of paper, on an actual piece of paper that will be deposited into secure ballot box.
:D In addition, you will receive a receipt copy of your ballot. BOTH ballots will have a unique identifier number (UIN) (randomly generated) on them that link the two ballots together. YOUR receipt ballot will have an additional code on it that when scanned will verify who you are and that you are a registered voter. Also, ballots will be filed IN A SPECIFIC ORDER, and must be counted IN THAT ORDER. There will be a separate register printed and can be viewed right there that shows their ballot was counted. This will also include a code that time stamps the ballot (but this time stamp will be ciphered).
:D Ballots may be machine counted, but they will be SO OBVIOUSLY CLEARLY PRINTED that they can be hand counted quite easily. Each UIN will have a bar code so that when a hand count is being performed, the counter first scans the bar code and then types in the vote - which will be printed on a verification form that basically includes a long list of all numbers and how the vote went.
:D The UIN's and how the votes for each one was cast will be made available to the public - especially via the internet! This way anyone can verify how their vote was counted and make sure it was counted and for the right candidate. In fact, they can also see how all the ballots add up but won't know to whom each ballot belonged.
:D In the event of there being accusations of "election fraud" - all voters will be contacted and asked to bring their receipts in to be verified. The voters who respond to this request will be able to bring in their ballot to be re-verified. This is essentially taking an simple random sample (SRS).
:D Simple statistical analysis can be performed on the ballots that are voluntarily verified. It will be analyzed for lurking variables such as demographics and "time stamps" to make sure that the SRS closely represents the population that actual voted on election day.
:D If the SRS is significantly large enough and there are no lurking variables, the votes counted will be compared to the votes tallied. If the vote is accurate, there should be very little difference in the statistical breakdown of the votes. If there is enough variance between the SRS and the actual results, this will cast doubt on the results not containing "inserted votes" - i.e. votes that were never cast being inserted into the record.
...from there I'm not quite sure where to go with this idea. There will be some flaws I'm not aware of, and some areas that need improvement. I have some undeveloped ideas because I don't really know how to make use of them (time stamps, printing a separate record of in what order the UIN's were distributed, etc.) but I figure they may be useful for making the system air tight while maintaining anonymity.
What do you think?
Now... before you stone me for talking about a voting MACHINE let me point out - this is not an electronic voting system, but it will be "computer assisted." I get the idea from the machines they use in my precinct in Cook County, IL - and also from my grandfather's county in Texas where, apparently, they have this EXACT system in place already but not tweaked the way I want it to be...
Here's how it works:
:D You verify that you can vote with ID and your voting information is electronically downloaded onto a card that will activate your "voting machine." This also creates a database that shows you voted, but gives no information as to which party you voted for.
:D You insert your card to activate the machine and from there voting is all done by touch screen or keyboard selection... this is an ASSISTANCE device only.
:D You final ballot is printed on paper - but not on a ROLL of paper, on an actual piece of paper that will be deposited into secure ballot box.
:D In addition, you will receive a receipt copy of your ballot. BOTH ballots will have a unique identifier number (UIN) (randomly generated) on them that link the two ballots together. YOUR receipt ballot will have an additional code on it that when scanned will verify who you are and that you are a registered voter. Also, ballots will be filed IN A SPECIFIC ORDER, and must be counted IN THAT ORDER. There will be a separate register printed and can be viewed right there that shows their ballot was counted. This will also include a code that time stamps the ballot (but this time stamp will be ciphered).
:D Ballots may be machine counted, but they will be SO OBVIOUSLY CLEARLY PRINTED that they can be hand counted quite easily. Each UIN will have a bar code so that when a hand count is being performed, the counter first scans the bar code and then types in the vote - which will be printed on a verification form that basically includes a long list of all numbers and how the vote went.
:D The UIN's and how the votes for each one was cast will be made available to the public - especially via the internet! This way anyone can verify how their vote was counted and make sure it was counted and for the right candidate. In fact, they can also see how all the ballots add up but won't know to whom each ballot belonged.
:D In the event of there being accusations of "election fraud" - all voters will be contacted and asked to bring their receipts in to be verified. The voters who respond to this request will be able to bring in their ballot to be re-verified. This is essentially taking an simple random sample (SRS).
:D Simple statistical analysis can be performed on the ballots that are voluntarily verified. It will be analyzed for lurking variables such as demographics and "time stamps" to make sure that the SRS closely represents the population that actual voted on election day.
:D If the SRS is significantly large enough and there are no lurking variables, the votes counted will be compared to the votes tallied. If the vote is accurate, there should be very little difference in the statistical breakdown of the votes. If there is enough variance between the SRS and the actual results, this will cast doubt on the results not containing "inserted votes" - i.e. votes that were never cast being inserted into the record.
...from there I'm not quite sure where to go with this idea. There will be some flaws I'm not aware of, and some areas that need improvement. I have some undeveloped ideas because I don't really know how to make use of them (time stamps, printing a separate record of in what order the UIN's were distributed, etc.) but I figure they may be useful for making the system air tight while maintaining anonymity.
What do you think?