[linux-aus] Re: distributed voting

[Bret Busby]

On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, Jeff Waugh wrote:

> Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 14:04:20 +1100
> From: Jeff Waugh <jdub at perkypants.org>
> To: linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
> Subject: Re: [linux-aus] Re: distributed voting
> 
> <quote who="Bret Busby">
> 
> > If it is sufficient as a starting point, a trusted Perl or PHP developer
> > on the list, could probably write a polling application to implement the
> > details that I have mentioned. The application could then be tested, using
> > surveys in the interim, before the SGm, to refine the application.
> 
> (There is already a version of LUV's web voting code up on the LA server.
> Pia was hacking on it, so that LA could use it in the future. I believe it
> has been mentioned on this list, too.)
> 
> - Jeff
> 
> 

Does that incorporate the features that I had mentioned; password login, 
the returning officer able to set the questions (I had not previously 
mentioned that one in this thread), the returning officer able to see 
who had voted and how (who voted and how they voted, being information 
for only the returning officer), the returning officer able to withdraw 
a vote and allow the person to recast the vote (or able to allow a voter 
to log in again, to withdraw the person's vote, and recast the vote), 
and to fix voting times, so that the application automatically 
sends out a reminder to anyone who has not voted, 24 hours before 
the poll is due to close, and to close the poll at a preset time, and, 
thence to collate the results and generate a report like

(On the motion that <motion>
x people voted, 
with the following results:
x1 for
x2 against
The motion is <passed/defeated>
)

or

(In the election for <position title>
x people voted,
with the following results
<candidate1> x1 votes
<candidate2> x2 votes
<candidate3> x3 votes
   :
   :
<candidaten> xn votes

<candidate with largest number of votes> is declared elected to the 
position of <position title>
)
?

If not, do people want all of the features that I have mentioned?

Also, in the case of elections, is the voting first-past-the post, or 
preferential? The former is simpler, and is simpler to administer, and 
requires only a radial button type system

"Check one box

<candidate1> < >
<candidate2> < >
<candidate3> < >
   :
   :
<candidaten> < >
"

These are issues that would need to be resolved, I think.

-- 
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of 
  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
  written by Douglas Adams, 
  published by Pan Books, 1992 
....................................................