[EM] Lotteries and random numbers

[Dave Ketchum]

Your last par. addresses getting away from random numbers in picking 
winners - ok.

I remain against lotteries.

DWK

On Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:30:40 +0100 Kristofer Munsterhjelm wrote:
> Dave Ketchum wrote:
> 
>> We need provision for breaking ties.  I offer a thought that avoids 
>> tossing coins:
>>      If counts are even, give candidate with lower name an extra vote.
>>      If counts are odd, give candidate with higher name an extra vote.
>>
>> Big deal is I am an enemy of lotteries in voting:
>>      Hard to come up with a formula for conducting the lottery.
>>      Hard to prove the formula has been obeyed - cheating in the 
>> counting is obviously tempting.
>>
>> Some methods of voting can inspire extra temptation for strategizing - 
>> and temptation to try to counteract suspected strategizing.  Avoiding 
>> such voting methods may be the most practical way to avoid the problem.
>>
>> Some supposed strategizing assumes shared knowledge and plotting that 
>> does not deserve attempts to counteract because the supposed sharing 
>> of knowledge and planning is not practical in real elections.
> 
> 
> Another option is this: use the total count as the seed for a good 
> pseudorandom number generator. True, it can be tricked by simply 
> calculating (add write-in ballots until it goes one's way), but if the 
> adversary has power to disturb the counts so that it sums to a 
> particular value, your method won't work either.
> 
> Your method can in any event be generalized: if there's an n-way tie, 
> order the candidates from 0 to n exclusive in alphabetical order, then 
> calculate x = (total mod n). Count up to x (first is zero), and that 
> candidate gets an extra vote. There may be some (weak) statistical 
> problems if one can guess the range of total - something about how some 
> digits will appear slightly more often than others - if that breaks the 
> scheme, use a PRNG or hash.
-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    people.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek
  Dave Ketchum   108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708   607-687-5026
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