We study a leader election protocol that we call the Swedish leader election protocol. This name comes from a protocol presented by L. Bondesson, T. Nilsson, and G. Wikstrand (2007). The goal is to select one among n > 0 players, by proceeding through a number of rounds. If there is only one player remaining, the protocol stops and the player is declared the leader. Otherwise, all remaining pla...

The commonly used asynchronous bounded delay (ABD) network models assume a fixed bound on message delay. We propose a probabilistic network model, called asynchronous bounded expected delay (ABE) model. Instead of a strict bound, the ABE model requires only a bound on the expected message delay. While the conditions of ABD networks restrict the set of possible executions, in ABE networks all as...

In “Can we elect if we cannot compare” (SPAA’03), Barrière, Flocchini, Fraigniaud and Santoro consider a qualitative model of distributed computing, where the labels of the entities are distinct but mutually incomparable. They study the leader election problem in a distributed mobile environment and they wonder whether there exists an algorithm such that for each distributed mobile environment,...

Ad hoc networks are characterized by high dynamics in particular with respect to the formation of network partitions. This behavior makes it difficult to (s)elect a suitable leader for a given network partition at any given time. However, such leaders or representatives are needed by many protocols for ad hoc networks. In this paper, we will illustrate the leader election process and its influe...

The problem of constructing a labeled map of an anonymous and asynchronous network is addressed. We present an algorithm that explores and maps the network by using k identical agents that have no prior knowledge of the network topology. An algorithm of Das, Flocchini, Nayak and Santoro for mapping of the network requires that n and k are co-prime. Our improved algorithm, presented here, requir...

We present a cellular algorithm in O(w) for the leader election problem on a finite connected subset F of ZZ of excentricity w, for any fixed d. The problem consists in finding an algorithm such that when setting the elements of F to a special state, and all the others to a state #, the cellular automaton iterates a finite number of steps and eventually sets only one precise element of F to a s...

The November 2014 Australian State of Victoria election was the first statutory political election worldwide at State level which deployed an end-to-end verifiable electronic voting system in polling places. This was the first time blind voters have been able to cast a fully secret ballot in a verifiable way, and the first time a verifiable voting system has been used to collect remote votes in...

When properly implemented, electronic election systems provide accurate vote counting, timely transmission of results, and secure electoral processes. Independent testing and certification by qualified testing laboratories offer election administrators, election stakeholders, and the public assurance that e-voting systems are trustworthy. Testing is an essential tool to safeguard the integrity ...

Prediction markets,1 which allow participants to place bets on the probability of a particular event, have been used with great success in the election context. Virtually ubiquitous during the 2008 election, prediction markets were used to forecast the chances of a particular candidate winning the election, and were often used by Internet pundits to keep “score” of the polls throughout the run-...

Data diodes, that is, devices which permit only one-way communication, without even a reverse channel for acknowledgment, have many potential uses within voting systems. A practical design for a data diode is presented that is simpler and more nearly self-evident than previously published designs. Communication protocols appropriate for use in the voting context are described. Throughout, we em...