[liberationtech] "Extra-government voting" research project?

[Mahdi Yousefi]

Dear Neema, 

What you proposed sounds interesting. Do you think
that the level of internet penetration in Iran especially in rural areas
may affect the results? Also from media literacy perspective, it sounds
difficult to obtain the votes of different groups of people via an
online platform (it would be even more difficult if such a website
considered as filtered inside the country). Also, culturally it may
raise some doubts about the "legitimacy" of the platform regarding the
role was played by internet in contemporary Iran. However, I think the
idea is interesting but it required more elaboration paying enough
attention to both technological and cultural considerations in a given
society. 

Best, 

-- 

MAHDI YOUSEFI 

 PhD Candidate 

 University of
Tehran 

 Department of Communication 

On 2012-09-16 10:48, Neema
Moraveji wrote: 

> Researchers, hackers, and students:
> 
> There is a
need in many countries, to support "extra-government
> elections" with
web-based technology (i.e., let citizens vote fairly
> without
government influence, extortion, etc.). I think this is a
> valuable
investment of time for a Libtech/HCI/CS/ICTD research
> project.
> 
>
Imagine a site that allowed citizens to vote, could show the outside
>
world and governments themselves (which often have unreliable means of
>
voting/counting/etc.) how the citizens really feel about different
>
candidates - in a non-biased way.
> 
> The research issues to solve:
authentication, visualization,
> accountability, and perhaps even
access. Using common computer
> components (keyboard, webcam, etc.) can
such a system be delivered to
> at least approximate the real sentiment
of the people? At least to the
> outside world?
> 
> Does such a system
already exist?
> 
> I am in Iran right now connecting with young people
and intellectuals.
> I can't speak for other countries but Iran will
have important
> elections in 9 months. If even a prototype of such a
system exists,
> it could gain wide use here and be used by news
agencies around the
> world to broadcast the difference between govt and
extra-govt voting
> results.
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Neema Moraveji,
Ph.D.
> Director
> Calming Technology Lab
> Media-X
> Stanford
University
> moraveji.org, calmingtech.stanford.edu
> @moraveji,
@calmingtech
> --
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