Random sample elections
A method allows a random sample of a large population of voters to cast votes and for both the unpredictability/un-manipulability of the sample selection and the integrity of the tally to be verified by any interested parties using public information. The problem of vote selling is addressed. Also, a variant allows voters to remain substantially anonymous.
1. A computerized cryptographic method for at least one election authority to conduct an election where at least some voters vote remotely, comprising:
the at least one election authority providing ballots to voters, the ballots including vote-codes;
some of the ballots are decoy ballets, where which ballots are decoy ballets is known to the at least one election authority;
receiving by the at least one election authority from at least one voter at least one of the vote-codes;
such that at least from some observers at least something is hidden about which voters receive which ballots or which vote codes;
such that at least from some observers, at least something is hidden about which ballots are decoy ballots; and
such that decoy ballots will not be counted and yet an integrity of a tally of non-decoy ballots can be substantially verified by any interested party.
2. The voting method of claim 1 ,
wherein the decoy ballots being provided by a method selected from the group consisting of: unpredictable, responsive to requests, an auction, and algorithmically responsive at least to information about voters.
3. The voting method of claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the at least one voter that a decoy ballot is issued to being supplied a substantial proof that the ballot is a decoy.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of ballots includes physically combining ballots with hidden vote codes within envelopes that are addressed with temporarily hidden addresses.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing of ballots includes physically combining ballots with hidden vote codes within envelopes that are addressed with temporarily hidden addresses.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the providing of ballots includes physically combining ballots with hidden vote codes within envelopes that are addressed with temporarily hidden addresses.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of ballots includes a multiparty mixing of recipients of the vote codes.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the providing of ballots includes a multiparty mixing of recipients of the vote codes.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the providing of ballots includes a multiparty mixing of recipients of the vote codes.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing of ballots includes a multiparty transformation of the vote codes.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing of ballots includes a mixing of decoy ballots along with real ballots.
12. The method of claim 11 , comprising delivering to voters receiving decoy ballots by deniable encryption an indication of whether the ballot is a decoy.