[extropy-chat] [psl at acm.org: ACTION ALERT: Blackwell purgedOhio Voter Rolls Oct 1st.- Vote Early!]

[spike]

...
> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
...
> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] [psl at acm.org: ACTION ALERT: Blackwell
> purgedOhio Voter Rolls Oct 1st.- Vote Early!]
> 
> spike wrote:
> > ...  This would be cheap and easy, and
> > would establish actual credibility of a paperless election...
> 
> The problem is that it then becomes possible to buy votes and verify
> that people voted the way they said they would...
> 
> ...which isn't really much of a problem compared to entire elections
> being stolen out of hand, so I'd say go for it.
> 
> It is, however, the excuse that the existing gameplayers would use not
> to adopt the system...  Eliezer S. Yudkowsky 


Hmmm, ja I did overlook that possibility.  In principle I would think the
issue is get-aroundable however.  It is illegal to solicit to buy votes, so
send around a number of under-cover operatives seeking to sell their vote.
The offer to buy a vote must come before the election, since it makes little
sense to pay for one afterwards.  Then the potential vote buyer would run
the risk of getting caught before the election, which could defeat the
purpose of trying to buy votes in the first place.

A potential vote buyer would need to avoid soliciting strangers, relying
more upon those who are known to the buyer, which in many cases would again
be a waste, for the well-knowns would already likely vote the way the buyer
wants.  The known opposition would be too likely to report the vote buyer to
the local authorities.  

I don't know Eli, the whole election thing is mired in paradox.  For
instance:

We go on and on about cheating at the election booth, but what about
cheating in the opinion polls before the election?  Those opinion polls may
effect the outcome of an election, yet as far as I know there is no law
against falsely reporting the outcome of an opinion poll, or designing an
opinion poll to come out a certain way, or to select respondents with at
least 10 sets of earrings.  (Conservatives generally avoid punching holes in
their bodies.  Any person with more than two earrings or with earrings in
any body part other than the earlobes are not conservative voters.
Pollsters can easily select or deselect these if they wish.)  

Newspapers shamelessly spin the news to possibly effect election outcomes,
completely without consequence.  Or so I would have thought until I saw this
today:

http://cbs5.com/californiawire/CA--MercuryNews-Layof_k_n_0ca--/resources_new
s_html

The Merc will always endorse any proposition that costs money, and will
never endorse any tax cut for any reason.  Less of their news is welcome
news to me.

spike