Abstract
In this paper, we analyze the process of performing the universal verification of an electronic election. We propose a general model of the election process and define the data flow into the verification process. We also define the purpose and outcome of the verification process and propose some general categories of tests to be performed during the verification. As a guideline for dealing with negative verification outcomes, we propose some general evaluation criteria for assessing the impact and consequences of the encountered problem. Finally, we generalize the proposed process models to the case of hybrid elections, in which multiple voting channels are available simultaneously. The primary target audience of this paper are people in charge of implementing and organizing verifiable elections in practice.
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Notes
- 1.
In a hybrid election process, both the number of electronic votes and the total number of votes must be taken into consideration.
- 2.
The main purpose of the universal verification is detecting integrity violations. However, the failing of certain tests can also lead to situations, in which vote secrecy is no longer guaranteed, for example if the signatures of the mixing proofs are all invalid. This could mean that all mixing proofs have been generated by the same party, which can then establish links from cleartext votes to voters.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. We are also grateful to Timo Bürk, Xavier Monnat, Jörg Schorr, Olivier Esseiva, and Anina Weber for helpful discussions, proofreading, and feedback. This research has been supported by the Post CH Ltd.
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Haenni, R., Dubuis, E., Koenig, R.E., Locher, P. (2018). Process Models for Universally Verifiable Elections. In: Krimmer, R., et al. Electronic Voting. E-Vote-ID 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11143. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00419-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00419-4_6
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