Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

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Trench
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Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by Trench »

My brain can glaze over in response to some Wired articles, same as everyone. But this suitability of homomorphic encryption to solving many of the electronic voting issues I'm finding to be really compelling. No spoilers -- I'm only up to the part where Travis County had to throw in the towel, but Microsoft Research has now picked up the ball -- but it will be interesting to see if the government actually allows the vote to become un-corruptible. Or, to more correctly clarify the intention, "to make corruption of the vote immediately apparent and detectable."

Current article:
https://www.wired.com/story/dana-debeauvoir-texas-county-clerk-voting-tech-revolution/

Earlier article:
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/next-election-dont-recount-vote-encrypt/
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by HairyRussianDude »

"It was not the first time Dana DeBeauvoir had moved a room full of men."
Giggity.

I don't know where to begin when it comes to your voting system down there. You guys have a ton of problems when it comes to elections.
I don't understand it though as it seems to be an American problem rather than a problem with the system.
The gist of our system is that I vote for who I want in parliament going to bat for me in my small(ish) geographic area. They are aligned with a party, so my vote inadvertently goes towards the leader of that party for prime minister. This system is flawed as hell too because I might like the individual in my area but hate their leader. On occasion as well, some end up running unopposed or against a minority who is completely insane so thousands by default vote for a party they may not like. We, like you, will always see one of 3 parties in power but thankfully have lucked out and do not seem to get awful human beings as candidates.

We have electronic, mail in, and in person voting too without any issue. No cyber criminals are undermining our electronic submissions, nobody is removing mail boxes, nobody is shutting down bus systems so the underprivileged can't make it to a far away voting station.

I'm on the conspiracy theorist end that the Dems and Reps know there is no threat to them and do some underhanded things to try and sway you guys.
I really think every one of you who has the option needs to vote minority this time around. Call it throwing your vote away if you want, but if you can at least seat a bunch of them you'll give the big two a wake up call. Show you've had enough of the big two's BS and I'll bet articles like this will be a thing of the past.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by Trench »

That's a good point and distinction to make, since this article & the system the participants involved are trying to build doesn't really relate to any of the "political issues" regarding election. The election system described in this article intends to replace the raft of buggy, opaque if not outright insecure electronic vote input devices we have -- or at least used to have before many places went back to having a paper trail. As well as the insecurity of how those totals are counted locally and reported nationally. i.e. The entire system used "for the purpose of recording and counting each individual's vote."

"The sum of each individual's votes", of course, at least in America, doesn't determine who wins. At least not yet. And that part, as well as all parts of "what happens after the votes are collected and counted", is outside the scope of this system. Those are what I'm calling "the political issues", and what we do in response to a vote count once we have one.

The point of the system in the article is to make the vote securely cast in a way that not even the person collecting your vote knows who you actually voted for. i.e. An actual secret vote. As opposed to "is supposed to be a secret vote", but with a paper trail that lets someone cross-reference if they wanted to. As well as in all cases, the people collecting the votes in the current system know what votes were cast on which ballots (even when they don't know "by whom"), and "oh, look at that, we accidently lost some of the ballots."

And --- and this is a huge "and" --- the crypto approach used makes the recording of a person's vote verifiable by the voter themselves; days, weeks and even months afterwards. Meaning when the government publishes "here are the votes, and here are the totals", the voter can check to see if their vote was reflected in that total, and call 1-800-SHENANIGANS when their vote doesn't show up. Meaning the vote is illogically yet simultaneously "completely secret" and "verifiable by the person who cast it". It bends the brain.

This is in addition to the fact that the source code of the system is entirely open, and all third-parties (the Republican party head, the Democratic party head, the Women's Voting org, private industry groups, etc.) can crunch the numbers themselves to confirm "yes, the results being reported match the votes that were cast." Again, without any participant in these verifications ever knowing "whom voted for what", even though the totals being verified are for how many people voted for each specific "what". Brain still bending.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

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I vote so I can get a sticker...I love them things

~ tona
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by BangBangOw<CP*SF> »

I think a hand count is the best way to go with 4-5 people observing and checking that it is correctly tabulated. Also should film every poll station, these electronic systems... dominion in particular have major flaws, and I’m not saying this because supposedly Trump “lost”. Even leftists were complaining about them missing votes and swapping the numbers around. Elizabeth Warren, prominent Trump hater is one of them lol. Granted they complained I believe in the Massachusetts primary or senate race... will have to double check.. but still. Also funny how now the machines are perfect, but when it doesn’t go their way it’s a problem lol.. So if both sides are complaining about the machines... then why do we have them? The great state of Texas doesn’t use them... and there’s a reason for it.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by Trench »

Texas had quite a bit of the Hart eSlates for a while too, and thankfully got out of that business pretty quick when problems were apparent.

I do like a paper trail to audit and verify the count against, which can take as long as we reasonably need it to take. But in 2020 there is zero reason not to have an electronic count which happens immediately, for the benefit of the people, and to establish "okay, now let's verify that" while we mostly already know what the answer will be. Certainly would not want a hand count, or a paper-only system, as the only instrument.

I don't dislike the current "fill out a paper ballot coded uniquely to you, scan that ballot electronically, and also hold that paper copy for audit." That system seems pretty well-intentioned and verifiable to me, so long as you don't believe that every single state's elections board is corrupt.

What the homomorphic-based system added was the ability to "hide the content of my individual vote even from those who are counting the vote", which removes an avenue for potential for abuse. And even more specifically, would make "hacking an election" mostly pointless. Because even if you did successfully hack it, everyone immediately knows and is holding the proof that it happened.

Texas was the one exploring how to create such a system.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by BangBangOw<CP*SF> »

One thing that just seemed fishy to a lot of people, was how Trump was leading in all the swing states, then they all just stopped counting, for 4 hours every One of those stateS just stopped counting. Then around 3-5 am hundreds of thousand of votes showed up 99% for Biden, and boom Biden wins lol. Makes perfect sense to have votes come in the next day.. things like the Georgia video.. I mean even if this stuff was going for the republican side I’d be concerned. If it’s going to be corrupt, then our country is gonna be gone, the whole idea was to have a voice and if that is taken away ... not good. Also think the “mail out everyone a ballot” without checking the voter rolls lmao, dead people getting ballots sent out.. I had two ballots sent to me to my name, I burned one of them so there’s no way I’m going to prison for that fraud bs. But the fact that multiple ballots are sent out is absurd, when you look at the voter turnout?!? Yeah in Wisconsin... 90% voter turnout, when the last 50-60 years had averaged 60% turnout... all the sudden everyone in Wisconsin votes? Makes no sense at all.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by Col. Kilgore »

Canada does not use electronic voting systems, paper only with observers at every counting station.
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Re: Election System Based On Homomorphic Encryption

Post by BangBangOw<CP*SF> »

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaki ... s-hearing/

Fun video showing how you can change the votes lmaoooooooo #dominion
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