Comment Double redundancy checks (Score 1) 574
How about this idea (a meshing of other ideas I've been reading).
We have an electronic voting system that at the end prints out a voter sheet that is hole punch with the votes. The computer tallies the votes itself but before submitting the votes to the central system it first waits for a number of sequential verification steps to take place. The first step would require the voter to look at the print out of their votes and verify the accuracy. This would be done while still in the voting booth. The paper with the holes would be black with white lettering for the names and information. The paper would be placed over a light bed which would shine through the punched holes to illuminate the selections. If everything matched up the person would push the button on the screen to say that the paper had been verified. This might be tied to the door so then the person could exit. Verifying the vote would also encode that vote into the system and wait for the next step to release the vote as fully cast. The next step would invlove the person taking the paper sheet over to another machine that it would be feed into and that machine would do a count itself (which would be stored seperately from the other count in the computer system). As soon as it would accept the paper vote as accurate - having no mechanical flaws - it would send a response to the computer system to free up the voters vote. The information sent to the computer system would be a one way transmition that basically would say vote (some randomly generated number that was tied to the vote while the paper was printed and encoded on the paper using a UV ink) is valid and accepted by the paper system, accept into that vote computer system.
What this system does for you is gives you the same vote in three different formats. First it leaves a paper trail that cannot be tied to a person, but is an accepted and valid vote - this is the real vote that is cast. The second is a mechanical count (the paper counter count) that is a verification for the computer system count. The computer system count is a fast count that is verified against the mechanical count and can be used to get up to the second data and if verified is than accepted as the true vote. If the verification fails then it would go to the paper votes which would be considered more accurate the computer system which must always be suspected.
Ok so what if the person doesn't like the printout at the first step? Easy. They are required to push the not accepted button which then causes the computer vote to be discarded and a new vote started up. The paper would then be requested by the system and shredded completely before a new vote could be started. Once the paper was shredded the process would start over and the verification process started again as well.
If the paper is somehow damaged between the voting booth and the paper tally machine then a new vote could be created by putting the damaged paper through a scanning shredder that would say please reprint this vote. The person would then be allowed to reverify and if everything was good then it would be put into the machine. If it wasn't good then the vote could be recycled as per the first do again section from the last paragraph.
Ok so that all might be a bit confusing so here is a step by step.
1. John Doe enters voting place and waits in line to sign-in. The sign-in process should be such that the brunt of the wait should take place before the person gets into a booth. i.e. If there isn't a booth open then no one is allowed to sign-in until a booth opens.
2. Booth opens and John Doe is allowed to sign-in and is given a start card and a paper sleeve. This card is his means to activate the computer and the voting process.
3. John Doe walks straight from sign-in table to booth and closes door (for those that are claustrophobic or who require assistant a special "large booth" is provided and an assistant is provided up until the voting begins. The rooms should be void of everything except the light table (always on) and the computer - which will not activiate until the door is closed.
4. The start card is inserted into the computer (this card can be read from any direction and is stored so that they can be reused in case more voters show up then there are start cards) and once the card is in the computer the process begins (maybe even have the door lock?)
5. The touch screen goes one item at a time (president, senator x, senator y, rep x, etc...) until the voting is finished. At anytime a preview of full vote can be called up so that votes can be changed. A number counts down the items remaining. Once all votes are cast the first verification screen appears asking if there are any changes the person wishes to make.
6. Once the person confirms no (more) changes then the paper is printed and instructed to use the light screen. The paper is printed with an invisible UV code that matches the random code holding the computer system vote. The computer will then hold the computer system vote until it is instructed to either destroy or release.
7. A "Vote is Accurate", "Vote is NOT Accurate" option is given and waits for the person to respond.
8. If the paper is not accurate then the computer asks that the paper be fed back in (where it is destroyed by being punch in all options and then shredded) and the process starts over.
8b. If the paper vote is accurate then the computer vote is placed on the server in a staging area waiting for further instruction. The door to the booth is unlocked (if it was locked) and the person is told to put the paper in the sleeve and then take the paper to the paper tally machine.
9. The person inserts the paper into the paper tally machine using the sleeve.
10. If the paper is bad it is first retryed and then if that fails it is brought to a reprint machine that scans the code and then reprints the paper which the person then must reverify. See below for total failure.
10b. If the paper is good then the machine counts the votes and stores the number inside itself, stores the paper in a safe, and sends a simple command to the server on a one-way transmit cord that tells the server to accept the computer system vote.
11. A nice green light flashes and the voter is rewarded with a "I voted" sticker and sent on their merry way.
In case of total failure of the paper, the voter is told to revote and the system at the end of the voting day flushes unconfirmed votes.
So. Thats my simple idea. And while it might be a little more costly it damn well assures a paper trail and makes sure that the computer data is verified and if that data is bad it is held suspect and the paper is counted again.
We have an electronic voting system that at the end prints out a voter sheet that is hole punch with the votes. The computer tallies the votes itself but before submitting the votes to the central system it first waits for a number of sequential verification steps to take place. The first step would require the voter to look at the print out of their votes and verify the accuracy. This would be done while still in the voting booth. The paper with the holes would be black with white lettering for the names and information. The paper would be placed over a light bed which would shine through the punched holes to illuminate the selections. If everything matched up the person would push the button on the screen to say that the paper had been verified. This might be tied to the door so then the person could exit. Verifying the vote would also encode that vote into the system and wait for the next step to release the vote as fully cast. The next step would invlove the person taking the paper sheet over to another machine that it would be feed into and that machine would do a count itself (which would be stored seperately from the other count in the computer system). As soon as it would accept the paper vote as accurate - having no mechanical flaws - it would send a response to the computer system to free up the voters vote. The information sent to the computer system would be a one way transmition that basically would say vote (some randomly generated number that was tied to the vote while the paper was printed and encoded on the paper using a UV ink) is valid and accepted by the paper system, accept into that vote computer system.
What this system does for you is gives you the same vote in three different formats. First it leaves a paper trail that cannot be tied to a person, but is an accepted and valid vote - this is the real vote that is cast. The second is a mechanical count (the paper counter count) that is a verification for the computer system count. The computer system count is a fast count that is verified against the mechanical count and can be used to get up to the second data and if verified is than accepted as the true vote. If the verification fails then it would go to the paper votes which would be considered more accurate the computer system which must always be suspected.
Ok so what if the person doesn't like the printout at the first step? Easy. They are required to push the not accepted button which then causes the computer vote to be discarded and a new vote started up. The paper would then be requested by the system and shredded completely before a new vote could be started. Once the paper was shredded the process would start over and the verification process started again as well.
If the paper is somehow damaged between the voting booth and the paper tally machine then a new vote could be created by putting the damaged paper through a scanning shredder that would say please reprint this vote. The person would then be allowed to reverify and if everything was good then it would be put into the machine. If it wasn't good then the vote could be recycled as per the first do again section from the last paragraph.
Ok so that all might be a bit confusing so here is a step by step.
1. John Doe enters voting place and waits in line to sign-in. The sign-in process should be such that the brunt of the wait should take place before the person gets into a booth. i.e. If there isn't a booth open then no one is allowed to sign-in until a booth opens.
2. Booth opens and John Doe is allowed to sign-in and is given a start card and a paper sleeve. This card is his means to activate the computer and the voting process.
3. John Doe walks straight from sign-in table to booth and closes door (for those that are claustrophobic or who require assistant a special "large booth" is provided and an assistant is provided up until the voting begins. The rooms should be void of everything except the light table (always on) and the computer - which will not activiate until the door is closed.
4. The start card is inserted into the computer (this card can be read from any direction and is stored so that they can be reused in case more voters show up then there are start cards) and once the card is in the computer the process begins (maybe even have the door lock?)
5. The touch screen goes one item at a time (president, senator x, senator y, rep x, etc...) until the voting is finished. At anytime a preview of full vote can be called up so that votes can be changed. A number counts down the items remaining. Once all votes are cast the first verification screen appears asking if there are any changes the person wishes to make.
6. Once the person confirms no (more) changes then the paper is printed and instructed to use the light screen. The paper is printed with an invisible UV code that matches the random code holding the computer system vote. The computer will then hold the computer system vote until it is instructed to either destroy or release.
7. A "Vote is Accurate", "Vote is NOT Accurate" option is given and waits for the person to respond.
8. If the paper is not accurate then the computer asks that the paper be fed back in (where it is destroyed by being punch in all options and then shredded) and the process starts over.
8b. If the paper vote is accurate then the computer vote is placed on the server in a staging area waiting for further instruction. The door to the booth is unlocked (if it was locked) and the person is told to put the paper in the sleeve and then take the paper to the paper tally machine.
9. The person inserts the paper into the paper tally machine using the sleeve.
10. If the paper is bad it is first retryed and then if that fails it is brought to a reprint machine that scans the code and then reprints the paper which the person then must reverify. See below for total failure.
10b. If the paper is good then the machine counts the votes and stores the number inside itself, stores the paper in a safe, and sends a simple command to the server on a one-way transmit cord that tells the server to accept the computer system vote.
11. A nice green light flashes and the voter is rewarded with a "I voted" sticker and sent on their merry way.
In case of total failure of the paper, the voter is told to revote and the system at the end of the voting day flushes unconfirmed votes.
So. Thats my simple idea. And while it might be a little more costly it damn well assures a paper trail and makes sure that the computer data is verified and if that data is bad it is held suspect and the paper is counted again.
