Dear PM : Please include
this in 100 DAYS ROAD-MAP
Context :
IIT-M
charts new course, uses blockchain for student body polls .. TOI …
29 Apr 2024
Extract :
In this season, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras witnessed an innovative stride in democracy by conducting its student body poll using blockchain technology.
The initiative, led by students of 'Webops and Blockchain Club' at the
Centre for Innovation (CFI), IIT-Madras, has now evolved into a startup,
with both governmental and private organisations employing its software for managing
land and health records.
Originally conceived as a CSR initiative supported by a leading Indian
tech company and department of science and technology, the project aimed to
address challenges posed by Covid-19, particularly in accessing medical records
and tracking health conditions across geographical borders.
Utilisation of blockchain technology in recent IIT-Madras student legislative council election has garnered recognition in India Book of
Records. The team of researchers behind this endeavour pointed out that voting
technology is just one among numerous domains where blockchain can
revolutionise existing practices.
Envisioning a future where election processes in
various sectors embrace secure and transparent blockchain applications for
remote voting, Prof Prabhu
Rajagopal, ( prajagopal@iitm.ac.in(Work)faculty-in-charge, said:
"This student-led project holds immense transformative potential, promising to reshape
conduct of elections."
On the security issue on blockchain
technology, more so as the polls
are conducted online, the team believes the "system is impossible to
hack." Election,
conducted online,
underscores the team's confidence in the technology's security.
Anirudh Varna,
a fourth-year BTech student involved in the project, highlighted the
near-impenetrable security of blockchain, requiring malicious actors to gain
control of over 50% of the network's nodes simultaneously, a feat deemed practically
unattainable.
On security concerns of online blockchain-based
polls, Rajagopal emphasised the it's capacity to foster trust and ensure
integrity of poll process.
( For details / photo > https://www.technologyforyou.org/iit-madras-conducts-indias-first-blockchain-based-elections-plans-to-scale-up/
………. https://www.t5eiitm.org/carved-in-stone-the-blockchain-election/
)
My Take :
Ø Simultaneous Polling .. ……………………………..22 Jan 2018
Extract :
Now comes the news that BLOCKCHAIN technology
can vastly facilitate MOBILE-BASED
VOTING !
If so, EC ( Election Commission ) should ,
· develop VotesApp by end of Feb 201
· give a demo to political parties
in March 2018
· conduct a parallel run ( along with
EVM-VVPAT ) for Karnataka State Election in May
2018
· Publish the results of both methods
in June 2018
Those who have any doubts re suitability of BLOCKCHAIN
technology in voting , may want to refer to :
When designing a new voting
system, a core tenet would be to remove all need for “trust,” and place
strong emphasis on open verification of
the process and the votes. A similar problem was addressed with digital
currency such as Bitcoin and Etherium.
On the blockchain, each group of transactions is hashed
together, along with a hash of the previous block, and the entire blockchain
would be publicly accessible.
Using a blockchain for digital voting could record both voter and candidate ID, as well as
the time. The voter IDs are a public / private key pair, not traceable to a
voter’s identity.
https://followmyvote.com/online-voting-technology/blockchain-technology/
Another application for blockchain technology is voting.
By casting votes as
transactions, we can create a blockchain which keeps track of the
tallies of the votes.
This way, everyone can agree on the final count because they can count the votes themselves,
and because of the blockchain audit trail, they
can verify that no votes were changed or removed, and no illegitimate votes
were added.
https://www.thebalance.com/how-the-blockchain-will-change-how-we-vote-4012008
Among the startups that followed in an attempt to build upon the
Blockchain to create a secure voting system was a Virginia-based company called FollowMyVote.
There is a common misconception that voting cannot be done
online in a secure way.
https://www.economist.com/sites/default/files/plymouth.pdf
Security of digital voting is always the biggest concern when
considering to implement a digital voting system.
With such monumental decisions at stake, there can be no doubt
about the system’s ability to secure data and defend against potential attacks.
One way the security issues can be potentially solved is through
the technology of blockchains.
Ø Block Chain for Voting ? …………………….. 11 March 2018
Extract :
Dear Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji,
I urge you to consider incorporating this Block-Chain Technology in the following Mobile App proposed
by me :
VotesApp …. 18
Aug 2013
This incorporation would be even better ( as far as transparency
is concerned ) than the current method of V-VPAT in EVM !
VotesApp will ensure that any voter can
get to see ( proof ) of who ( which person ) he voted for
, in which election ( Municipal or State or National )
and when – apart from ensuring “ No fake / invalid votes “ !
A complete history of his voting during lifetime – but, which he
alone can access on his mobile through his biometrics !
Now imagine aggregation of the voting behaviour of 800 million
voters at gross / macro level and totally anonymized – and accessible to anyone on EC’s web site !
This could reveal following types of trends / analytics :
· No of Votes
· Percentage of voters
· Vote share ( party wise )
· State / Region wise
· Gender wise
· Vote swings / Anti Incumbency
factors………. Etc
Such BIG DATA analytics might even make it possible to “ predict “ the future
voting patterns !
With incorporation of Block-Chain ( into VotesApp ) , opposition will be left with
no arguments to oppose SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS !
Ø Americans call it “ Voatz “ ……………………….. 13 Aug 2018
Extract
:
According to a CNN report published Monday, the state plans
to let soldiers who are permanent residents of the state but are serving
overseas vote
via their smartphones using a blockchain voting app called Voatz. It will mark the first time U.S.
citizens can vote via mobile app.
To use Voatz, soldiers will first need to prove
they are who they claim to be. The registration process involves uploading a
photo of their government-issued ID and a video of their face, taken like a
selfie.
The app’s facial recognition software will look at both the
photo and video to ensure they depict the same person.
{ On 15 Dec 2015 ,
I edited my VotesApp blog to add :
“ Vote will get recorded only when that
Voter takes a Selfie - which will get matched automatically , with his Aadhar
Card photo “ }
After this verification process, the soldiers
will be all set to cast their vote. Once they do, the app anonymizes the
ballots and records the votes on a blockchain, a secure digital ledger that’s
nearly tamperproof.
West Virginia’s Secretary of State Mac Warner
insists Voatz is secure.
Historically, election security has been one
of his top priorities — earlier this year, he secured $6.5 million in
federal funding to spend on equipment, cybersecurity, and training to ensure
the state’s elections are safe and secure.
West Virginia already tested Voatz in two
counties during the primary elections, and several audits of the voting app
revealed no issues. We’ll just have to wait to see if the same holds true in
November. If it does, more governments could adopt blockchain-supported voting apps in the future.
Ø Analysis Needed : Paralysis Avoided …………………
13 Sept 2020
Extract
:
EC examines Remote Voting Option, sets up Tech Group
The group is expected to submit a ‘conceptual
framework’ on ‘remote voting’ within the next two months
Dear Prof Rajat Moona
(director@iitbhilai.ac.in / moona@iitk.ac.in )
I urge your panel to debate my following
suggestions before framing its final recommendations :
2012
# VotesApp
[ 18 Dec 2012 ]
2020
# First Step to VotesApp ? [24 Jan 2020 ]
# Slow and Steady ? Way Democracy Works [ 12 Mar 2020 ]
2019
# VVPAT ? How about EVBAT ? [ 28 Mar 2019 ]
# Dark Side of Democracy
[ 08 Jan 2019 ]
2018
# Americans call it “ Voatz “ [ 13 Aug 2018 ]
# Where is the need ? [ 05 Apr 2018 ]
# Block Chain for Voting ? [ 11 Mar 2018 ]
# Thank You, Shri Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay [ 19 Feb 2018 ]
# Simultaneous Polling [ 22 Jan 2018 ]
2017
# Poll Reforms : Time for a Consensus [ 21 Aug 2017 ]
# A Blue Print for VotesApp ? [ 25 Apr 2017 ]
# Electoral Reforms Capsule : A Bitter Pill ? [ 05 Feb 2017 ]
2016
# Reforming Elections and Lok Sabha [ 20 Dec 2016 ]
# One Nation , One Vote ? [ 29 Nov 2016 ]
# Filtering Candidate Information ?
[18 Sept 2016 ]
# One Poll , One Time [ 06 Sept 2016 ]
# Advantage Incumbent ?
[ 05
Sept 2016 ]
# ROMP : A Panacea ?
[ 06 Aug
2016 ]
# The Greatest Reform ?
[ 12 June 2016 ]
# One Day Polling is possible
[31 Mar 2016 ]
2015
# How to Save Rs 5511
crore ?
[12
Dec 2015 ]
# Honey ! I shrunk the EVM
[21 Oct
2015 ]
2014
# All Seasons are
Election Seasons [ 22 May 2014 ]
# A Software Powerhouse ? [ 24 Apr 2014 ]
# Sun Never Sets
[ 01 Apr 2014 ]
Ø How about “ Sandbox for Mobile Voting “ ? …………
27 Nov 2020
Extract :
Dear Shri Narendrabhai,
Indian voters
have been happily using electronic EVM for
voting for many years now – without complaint.
Nothing parallel exists anywhere in the World. We pioneered this process (
compare with what just happened in USA )
Even those few
political parties which, at first, refused to accept EVM, have now no complaint
about their efficacy
If we can convince
the opposition that Mobile-based voting is,
Ø Totally reliable and
Ø The process cannot be tampered with,
then
there is a good chance that they will accept a Mobile-based Voting – which will pave the way for
“ One Nation One Poll / Simultaneous Elections “
To convince
the opposition what we need to do is a small
trial – a small experiment – in a small bye-election – in a small
constituency – having a small number of voters
An experiment
where both of the following “ voting methods “ will be employed simultaneously :
Ø Physical EVM based voting in a physical booth
( marking with indelible ink )
Ø Mobile App based voting from voter’s home (
using biometric IDs of finger – iris- facial recognition of Selfie )
Voters will have
following options :
Ø Only vote from a polling booth
Ø Only vote from home , using Mobile App
Ø Use both methods , physical voting in
booth, followed by Mobile voting from home
Basis for declaring the Winner :
Ø Only votes polled at
physical booth will be considered for declaration of Winner
This assurance will get us the “ Buy-in “ of the
Opposition to this experiment
Then, what is the purpose of Mobile-based
voting ?
Ø It will enable us to compare the “ votes
polled “ under each method
Ø This analysis will tell us how many voters (
but not “Who “) , voted using which method
Ø Time-series will tell us which method was
used ( preferred ) at what time of the day
Ø Did Mobile based votes were a result of
people who otherwise could not have voted ( Lost
Votes ) , being many kilometers away from their designated polling
booth ?
Ø If
number of voters who used mobile was TWICE / THRICE the number of those who
went to polling booth, then can
we conclude that people hate trudging down to polling booth and spend hours
standing in a queue ?
Ø Do the Winner come out to be the same
candidate, under both voting methods ? If yes, very assuring !
How will we know if Voters who used Mobiles were not coerced / influenced by party workers ?
Ø NaviC based GPS will tell us where precisely
that mobile phone was exactly when vote was cast
Ø It will also tell us ( Heat Map ? ) whether many other mobile
phones were nearby at that moment ( eg: local office of political parties )
How can we conduct such a small-scale experiment , without
disturbing EVM-based voting ?
Ø By creating ( what I call ) a “ Mobile Voting Sandbox “
Any current example of such a
controlled “ Experimental
set-up “ to gather evidence of efficacy of a method ?
Ø Yes. The National Digital Health Mission has
created such a SANDBOX
How does it work ?
Ø Read : Accelerating Digital Health Innovation / Eco
Times – 26 Nov 2020
Extract :
# NDHM
has created a “sandbox “that
enables technologies or products to be tested in a contained
Environment and duration – subject to NDHM standards and
oversight – and judge
the consumer and
market reactions to the same
# The sandbox will facilitate integration of current
systems and IT
platforms in healthcare with NDHM building
blocks
namely , Health ID, Doctors’ and Health Facility Registries, and Patient Health
Records
# At
its core, the sandbox has been
created with the objective to foster RESPONSIBLE
INNOVATION in
Health Tech Services, promote efficiency
and bring benefit to consumers
# The sandbox brings together healthcare and
health tech service providers, centrally and state run public
Health
programmes , software providers, healthcare aggregators, tech companies to TEST
and INTEGRATE
their
products and services with NDHM
# The
NDHM sandbox is founded on the
idea that the government, private sector and citizen need to work
together
as partner to solve the problem of healthcare. It will enable “ learning by doing “ on all sides
===================================================================
What features
should be built into the “ Mobile Voting Sandbox “ ?
Ø Central Election
Commission ( CEC ) to get the Mobile App developed and
oversee its working
Ø CEC to declare ( 2
months in advance ) date of Bye Election for a given constituency
Ø Mobile App will
work on that date only and between 8am – 6pm only
Ø On that date, at 6pm. it
will self-destruct automatically, even if not used
Ø If used, App will
self-destruct immediately after transmitting the data to the Central Server of
CEC
Ø Although a voter can
vote once again from his Mobile AFTER he
has already voted from physical booth, it will NOT be possible to do other way
around ( ie:, he cannot first vote from mobile and then go to booth for voting
).
Ø As soon as a voter has
voted from booth, EVM will immediately transmit his vote ( candidate selected )
to the Central Server of CEC
Ø Now , if he has voted
for candidate XYZ ( belonging
to BJP )
in booth, then after going home , he cannot vote ( select ) candidate LMJ ( belonging to Congress ) , from his Mobile App . If he
does, Server / App will not let him click “ SUBMIT “ .
This is safeguard is essential to ensure that voters do not play mischief / confuse CEC,
by voting for different candidates, using different voting methods ! Server will allow him to proceed ONLY if he selects the
SAME candidate ( XYZ ) , on
his Mobile App
Ø A voter ( from the
declared constituency ) can download the Mobile App ( only once ) , from the
website of CEC , by filling in an online form where he will need to establish without doubt that , he is a
genuine voter belonging to that particular
constituency ( Voter ID – PAN – Aadhar – Sefie – Mobile No. etc ).
Server will ensure that no one, other than a voter belonging to that particular
constituency, will be able to download the App
Ø Voting data generated
using Mobile App , shall NOT be
published till the CEC declares the Winner based on EVM based voting ( no exit
pole – no prejudging – no confusion – no mischief ! )
Ø However, once the Winner
is declared , data from both methods of voting will be published on CEC website
( of course , without in any way, revealing the identity of any voter )
Ø The entire METHODOLOGY
of “ Mobile Voting Sandbox “, must be widely publicized on
CEC website / other Govt websites / Social Media sites / News Papers / TV
channels etc., in order to establish its TRANSPARENCY / RELIABILITY among
general public and among political parties.
Ø Govt may consider
inviting comments / suggestions from public on CEC portal
Any suggestion re:
conceptual frame-work for such a Mobile
App ?
Ø Yes.
Please refer to my following email : VotesApp ………18 Dec
2012
With Regards,
Hemen Parekh
www.HemenParekh.ai / 08
May 2024
Related
Readings
:
Reimagining
democratic processes and the role of AI in modernizing voting systems..
ET.. 07 May 2024
Extract :
AI-powered voting systems, equipped
with accessibility features such as voice-based interfaces and screen readers,
ensure that individuals with disabilities can exercise
their right to vote independently and securely.
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