Comments on: What Happens Before You Mail It?

By: ben

ben — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:30:30 +0000

then it’s fairly easy for someone to override your vote if they know your voter ID… unless you get into fancy crypto

There’s also a question of variable latency of the postal service, but that’s more minor.

By: Aaron Swartz

Aaron Swartz — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:25:06 +0000

Without some really fancy crypto tricks, Vote by Mail is inherently coercible. To claim otherwise is just denial of basic facts.

Fancy crypto techniques? Like what? Why not just allow people to mail in multiple ballots and only count the last one?

By: Gentry Lange

Gentry Lange — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:21:00 +0000

Yes, how indeed? It is amazing to me that people are so blind to the issues of the secret ballot. In Washington the common person is not only willing to give up the secret ballot, but literally cites, “Convenience” almost 100% of the time for the reason.

“Why do you like Vote-By Mail?”

“Because it’s so convenient.”

“Have you thought about the lack of security, secrecy, accuracy, or public ownership of the voting system under a new Vote-By Mail system?”

“No.”

The Vote By Mail Project is funding outreach and lobbyists somehow accross the country, to promote Vote-By Mail as the solution to the “Touchscreen Voting Problem”. And in so doing are promoting the death of the secret ballot nationally.

As to your question, how can the council say they maintain the secret ballot? It’s as easy as a press release. In person, they just don’t respond. Or act like you, as the concerned citizen, are basically crazy.