Process Models for Universally Verifiable Elections

In this paper, we analyze the process of performing the universal verification of an electronic election. We propose a general model of the election process and define the data flow into the verification process. We also define the purpose and outcome of the verification process and propose some general categories of tests to be performed during the verification. As a guideline for dealing with negative verification outcomes, we propose some general evaluation criteria for assessing the impact and consequences of the encountered problem. Finally, we generalize the proposed process models to the case of hybrid elections, in which multiple voting channels are available simultaneously. The primary target audience of this paper are people in charge of implementing and organizing verifiable elections in practice.