Anti-coercion mechanisms for online voting

Vote coercion is any pressure exerted on a person to vote for an option other than the one they would have freely chosen. It can be negative (threats, reprisals, pressure from a superior or one’s social circle) or positive (money, favors, gifts, or promises in exchange for a vote). It has been present throughout the history of all voting systems and is now a crime in most democratic legal systems.

Mainly two: the ability to change one's vote as many times as desired while voting is open, and a receipt with a hash code that allows voters to verify that their vote has been recorded without revealing how they voted. Both of these features complement the secrecy of the vote and secure voter identification.

Yes. If voting is still open, you can log in again when you're alone and submit your actual decision. The vote you cast under pressure is superseded by the new one. That is precisely the purpose of this feature: to ensure that pressure from a third party is never final.

No. Although a voter may cast a ballot more than once, secure identification ensures that only those eligible to vote do so, and that each person’ s vote counts only once. Overwriting a vote does not multiply the number of votes; it simply replaces one vote with another.

Because whoever is exerting pressure cannot be sure that what they have seen is the final vote. If the person can change their mind later, paying for a vote or demanding one ceases to be a reliable investment. The certainty that the threat or payment served any purpose is eliminated.

No. After voting, you can download a receipt confirming that your vote has been recorded, but that receipt does not reveal how you voted. Therefore, no one can demand proof that you voted for a specific option.

The hash code is a unique, unalterable alphanumeric code associated with a vote. It allows you to verify that your vote has been recorded correctly, but does not reveal which option you chose. It combines verifiability (you can trust that your vote counts) with secrecy (no one knows how you voted).

Yes, and they reinforce each other. The secret ballot prevents a person from being linked to their choice, and the anti-coercion mechanisms prevent a third party from forcing or verifying that choice.

In the face of coercion, our anti-coercion system offers an additional safeguard that the voting booth does not: the ability to change one’s vote. The voting booth protects the moment when the voter selects the ballot, but it does not prevent someone from watching the voter before they enter, handing out pre-filled envelopes, or demanding to verify the result. In an online vote, even if such pressure exists, the voter retains the option to change their vote afterward.

The vote administrator. When configuring the vote, the administrator can enable these features based on the type of process and the level of risk; therefore, they are not required for all votes. They are especially recommended for elections.

For any process in which voters may be subject to pressure, and especially for elections—whether for unions, professional associations, organizations, cooperatives, clubs, universities, or political parties. When there is a relationship of dependence between the voter and the party that could exert pressure, this mechanism is most valuable.

Until the moment voting closes. Once voting closes, the last vote cast is considered final and can no longer be changed.

The logic is the same: you can change your vote as long as the voting period is open. In delayed voting—which remains open for hours or days—voters have the most opportunity to change their minds. Learn about the differences between delayed voting and real-time voting.

Yes. The option to overwrite a vote has been in use for years in major elections, such as Estonia's presidential elections, and is one of the most widely recognized measures against coercion in online voting.

Yes. Anti-coercion mechanisms are part of a legally valid online voting process, along with secure voter identification and vote traceability.