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The process is actually quite straightforward: - Every citizen is issued ID that includes a hardware embedded public/private key pair. A YubiKey essentially. T
by alexmingoia 6y ago
The process is actually quite straightforward:
- Every citizen is issued ID that includes a hardware embedded public/private key pair. A YubiKey essentially. This step is optional, but allows ballots to be assigned remotely.
- Election commission creates and maintains their own key pair.
- Ballots are assigned remotely to eligible voters by encrypting with citizens public key, or assigned in person. Ballots themselves are key pairs, and the commission throws away the private keys after assigning them. The list of ballots is published signed by commission’s key.
- Votes are the position + a secret encrypted by a voter’s private key, signed with the ballot. Votes sent to the commission and published.
Everyone can see which ballot voted which way, verified by the ballot public key. Voters can verify the commission didn’t keep the private key by verifying their encrypted secret. Votes are anonymous, cryptographically verified, and if a citizen ID system is used ballots can be assigned remotely so the entire election is remote.
No blockchain or specific applications are required for this system, just agreed upon key algorithms. The downside is keeping private keys secure is difficult compared to watching over physical ballots.
A system similar to this was used in the recent Hong Kong protest election, with the ballots issued in person.
Estonia’s system is insecure, relying on private closed systems to store, transmit, and tally votes. They have made changes, but AFAIK they don’t provide a way to publicly cryptographically verify votes or vote counts, and voting has to be done through a specific app.
- alexmingoia 6y agoA simpler variation on this system is for the ballot keypair to be generated by the voter, and then the public key given to the registrar to "register" for the election. The registrar publishes all the registered ballots signed by their key. All the registrar does is ensure eligible voters submit a public key to register. This would require a voter to register in person or a national ID card that could be used to sign the ballot public key.
- rawgabbit 6y agoIf I understand correctly, you are saying when the voter goes to the DMV or US post office - a registrar can instruct the voter to download a voting app on his phone. The registrar activates the app and generates the key pair. The registrar records the voter’s public key. The voter can now use the app to vote and his votes are encrypted using his private key which can be read using the recorded public key. Every election cycle or if he loses his phone the voter needs to go back to the registrar. Is there anything I am missing?
- alexmingoia 6y agoYup. Or if a national ID system was put in place they wouldn’t need to go to the registrar, since the ID would have a key pair to prove eligibility remotely.
- JoeAltmaier 6y agoThere have been dystopian stories written about such schemes. The ID card essentially becomes a 'voting voucher'. You have to possess it to vote. Employers then demand your ID card as a term of employment. The voting system becomes a corporate power grab, and the resulting disenfranchising of everybody becomes a new form of society.
- alexmingoia 6y agoThat would be illegal, and quite difficult to hide, since presumably you need the ID card for other things. The larger the company is the more difficult it is to keep this a secret. A company can already compel you to vote, because all states allow mail-in ballots. It would be pretty hard to announce this to everyone while simultaneously keeping it a secret.
- JoeAltmaier 6y agoIllegal? What makes us think that unrestricted corporate power isn't going to continue? In the story, its become an ordinary fact of life. In fact, once you have somebody's card you have their life. They can kill employees if its convenient. But its just a story.