Physical Cryptographic Signatures for Absentee Ballots

Abstract: Physical signature verification on absentee ballots became a major flashpoint in the 2018 midterm elections in the United States, especially in states like Georgia, Florida, and Arizona, where close election margins resulted in heightened attention to the counting of absentee ballots. As vote-by-mail solutions are becoming more prevalent across the U.S., these issues are sure to continue affecting elections in the United States. Signature verification is an inexact science; often times guidelines can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In this paper we provide a cryptographic remedy to this solution that is usable, secure, and easily integrated into existing election infrastructure.