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Comment by indrax | Hacker News Reader

Now make it so you have to eat the ghost labeled as the candidate you want to vote for, and it records the vote.

I might actually go to the polls.

Alternatively, a 1 minute quiz on the constitution and/or your countries system of governance. Get all the answers right and you can vote!

That would require improving public education first.

I don't even need knowledge, just basic reasoning skills--I would prefer to have anybody who can answer a question about, say, the base rate fallacy[1] voting, even if they don't know the constitution. Hell, even if they're illiterate.

[1] http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=12

Half a century ago, literacy tests and trick questions were widely used to keep blacks from voting. That's why it's illegal to do so now.

Nowadays, the US repeals voting rights from those who have committed a felony, have a similar name to someone who's committed a felony, or live in the same neighborhood as people who conflict felonies. And who "just happen" to be black.

Civilization has advanced - this is no longer widely accepted - but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen in, say, Florida.

> have a similar name to someone who's committed a felony

Really? How is that justified?

To the best of my knowledge, not at all.

See e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Central_Voter_File for details.

I should point out that it wasn't a serious suggestion! I was just trying to think of practical uses for the hack. I didn't think my other idea of networked street fighter, were the victor was able cast the vote on behalf of the loser, would hold much water on HN.

They should have hacked it to play Pole Position, where the winner of the race was the candidate who gets the vote.

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