Secret ballots are a cornerstone of democracy, ensuring elections remain free from coercion or retaliation by keeping voters’ choices anonymous. Traditionally, physical paper ballots have safeguarded this anonymity.

However, as voting moves online, questions about privacy arise. The Australian National University (ANU) recently held a critical vote on staff pay using an online system provided by CorpVote. While staff were assured of anonymity, concerns emerged. CorpVote claims its system guarantees secret ballots and is widely used by major Australian organizations, including Woolworths, Coles, Telstra, and the ABC.

To investigate these assurances, Clinton speaks with Vanessa Teague, Adjunct Associate Professor, College of Engineering and Computer Science at ANU, who uncovered alarming issues regarding voter anonymity in the online system.

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