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I invented something like this myself that used a checksum based form of ensuring data can't be tampered with. The key point is that anyone can look up how it r

I invented something like this myself that used a checksum based form of ensuring data can't be tampered with. The key point is that anyone can look up how it recorded THEIR vote without anyone else being able to. Uses a hash of social security number for that (plus other personal identifiers). Websites can be written to allow a simple form-based trivially simple gui that allows anyone to look up how their vote was recorded. There needs to be a way for people to post a 'protest' (saying vote was recorded wrong), and if there are statically enough disputes to change the outcome the election must be redone. But regardless blockchain or something using my checksum approach is the only solution. No paper chads or other technology will ever be trustworthy.

matt4077 10y ago
Pen & Paper will always be more trustworthy, transparent, and safe than any blockchain-bs. Part of the reason is that to compromise a paper ballot you need thousands of corrupt volunteers (and if you can find them, you have much bigger problems anyway). The other part of the argument is that the security isn't enough for a voting system. You need /obvious/ security, and a mathematical proof just isn't obvious enough. Also: ethereum. And your system probably suffers from allowing people to prove who they voted for.
- ClayFerguson 10y ago
  With all due respect the only way you could claim blockchain is not safer than paper is if you don't understand blockchain. With a large database that is distributed on 1000s of different computers (identical DB), everyone is free to analyze what happen and tampering IS IMPOSSIBLE. Blockchain is the only technology that is indeed hack-proof. Sure it can be incorrectly implemented, making it hackable, but the technology itself IS secure. If it weren't then hackers could just attack BitCoin and program it to say they have more money than they do. If you understand BitCoin then you understand how this is impossible. Learn what a distributed ledger is.
  - matt4077 10y ago
    With all due respect, the only way you can claim a blockchain is more secure than paper ballots is if you... > Sure it can be incorrectly implemented ...ignore reality.
    - ClayFerguson 10y ago
      LOL @ "ignore reality". Like you have even one single example in your mind of a buggy implementation of blockchain. Nice try.
      - matt4077 10y ago
        > Also: ethereum
        ClayFerguson 10y ago
        Dude if you want to prove blockchain can be incorrectly implemented just write an implementation yourself. I'm sure it would fail all test cases.
        matt4077 10y ago
        >>> Like you have even one single example in your mind of a buggy implementation >> Ethereum > Dude if you want to prove blockchain can be incorrectly implemented You're not making much sense. Sorry if life has been hard on you.
        ClayFerguson 10y ago
        You do two word posts, and then accuse other people of not communicating well.
sanswork 10y ago
Any system that allows someone to confirm their vote is a system that allows people to be forced to vote for someone.
- Natanael_L 10y ago
  Depends on how the verification is done. If it is verifiably derived from your raw vote, then yes. But if it's is tied to the process of voting such that it doesn't reveal the contents but confirm it was recorded right, then it can work. See 3-ballot, and also my suggested scheme; https://roamingaroundatrandom.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/an-mpc-based-privacy-preserving-flexible-cryptographic-voting-scheme/ https://roamingaroundatrandom.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/an-mp...
  - sanswork 10y ago
    That was an interesting read thank you.
- ClayFerguson 10y ago
  The "system" in blockchain is always a single database file (that changes over time) but that can be downloaded by anyone at any time, and it's history can be analyzed in private and in secret by anyone any time. It has a checksum at any point in time, so you can know for sure your copy has not been tampered with, or even write a web app to allow others to analyze it, and none of the analysis forces anyone to do anything. You are apparently very confused about how this technology works.
  - sanswork 10y ago
    I'm very familiar with how blockchains work. But if you can verify your vote then I can tell you to prove to me you voted for the person I told you to.
    - ClayFerguson 10y ago
      Someone can also compel me to use my own password to log into my bank account and transfer all my money to them. Every new technology that has ever been invented has always had people like you who can think up highly statistically insignificant scenarios where the technology can be misused.

matt4077 10y ago

Pen & Paper will always be more trustworthy, transparent, and safe than any blockchain-bs. Part of the reason is that to compromise a paper ballot you need thousands of corrupt volunteers (and if you can find them, you have much bigger problems anyway). The other part of the argument is that the security isn't enough for a voting system. You need /obvious/ security, and a mathematical proof just isn't obvious enough. Also: ethereum. And your system probably suffers from allowing people to prove who they voted for.

ClayFerguson 10y ago
With all due respect the only way you could claim blockchain is not safer than paper is if you don't understand blockchain. With a large database that is distributed on 1000s of different computers (identical DB), everyone is free to analyze what happen and tampering IS IMPOSSIBLE. Blockchain is the only technology that is indeed hack-proof. Sure it can be incorrectly implemented, making it hackable, but the technology itself IS secure. If it weren't then hackers could just attack BitCoin and program it to say they have more money than they do. If you understand BitCoin then you understand how this is impossible. Learn what a distributed ledger is.
- matt4077 10y ago
  With all due respect, the only way you can claim a blockchain is more secure than paper ballots is if you... > Sure it can be incorrectly implemented ...ignore reality.
  - ClayFerguson 10y ago
    LOL @ "ignore reality". Like you have even one single example in your mind of a buggy implementation of blockchain. Nice try.
    - matt4077 10y ago
      > Also: ethereum
      - ClayFerguson 10y ago
        Dude if you want to prove blockchain can be incorrectly implemented just write an implementation yourself. I'm sure it would fail all test cases.
        matt4077 10y ago
        >>> Like you have even one single example in your mind of a buggy implementation >> Ethereum > Dude if you want to prove blockchain can be incorrectly implemented You're not making much sense. Sorry if life has been hard on you.
        ClayFerguson 10y ago
        You do two word posts, and then accuse other people of not communicating well.

sanswork 10y ago

Any system that allows someone to confirm their vote is a system that allows people to be forced to vote for someone.

Natanael_L 10y ago
Depends on how the verification is done. If it is verifiably derived from your raw vote, then yes. But if it's is tied to the process of voting such that it doesn't reveal the contents but confirm it was recorded right, then it can work. See 3-ballot, and also my suggested scheme; https://roamingaroundatrandom.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/an-mpc-based-privacy-preserving-flexible-cryptographic-voting-scheme/ https://roamingaroundatrandom.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/an-mp...
- sanswork 10y ago
  That was an interesting read thank you.
ClayFerguson 10y ago
The "system" in blockchain is always a single database file (that changes over time) but that can be downloaded by anyone at any time, and it's history can be analyzed in private and in secret by anyone any time. It has a checksum at any point in time, so you can know for sure your copy has not been tampered with, or even write a web app to allow others to analyze it, and none of the analysis forces anyone to do anything. You are apparently very confused about how this technology works.
- sanswork 10y ago
  I'm very familiar with how blockchains work. But if you can verify your vote then I can tell you to prove to me you voted for the person I told you to.
  - ClayFerguson 10y ago
    Someone can also compel me to use my own password to log into my bank account and transfer all my money to them. Every new technology that has ever been invented has always had people like you who can think up highly statistically insignificant scenarios where the technology can be misused.