RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited

Michelle Blom; Peter J. Stuckey; Vanessa Teague; Damjan Vukcevic

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1

RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited

Michelle Blom, Peter J. Stuckey, Vanessa Teague, Damjan Vukcevic

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

Abstract

Single Transferable Vote (STV) elections are a principled approach to electing multiple candidates in a single election. Each ballot has a starting value of 1, and a candidate is elected if they gather a total vote value more than a defined quota. Votes over the quota have their value reduced by a transfer value so as to remove the quota, and are passed to the next candidate on the ballot. Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) are a statistically sound approach to election auditing which guarantees that failure to detect an error in the result is bounded by a limit. A first approach to RLAs for 2-seat STV elections has been defined. In this paper we show how we can improve this approach by reasoning about lower bounds on transfer values, and how we can extend the approach to partially audit an election, if the method does not support a full audit.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops
Subtitle of host publication	Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers
Editors	Jurlind Budurushi, Oksana Kulyk, Sarah Allen, Theo Diamandis, Ariah Klages-Mundt, Andrea Bracciali, Geoffrey Goodell, Shin’ichiro Matsuo
Place of Publication	Cham Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	3-17
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031692314
ISBN (Print)	9783031692307
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	International Conference on Electronic Voting 2024 - Willemstad, Curacao Island Duration: 8 Mar 2023 → 8 Mar 2024 Conference number: 9th https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4 (Proceedings) https://fc24.ifca.ai/voting/ (Website)

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer
Volume	14746
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Electronic Voting 2024
Abbreviated title	Voting 2024
Country/Territory	Curacao Island
City	Willemstad
Period	8/03/23 → 8/03/24
Internet address	https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4 (Proceedings) https://fc24.ifca.ai/voting/ (Website)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1

Cite this

Blom, M., Stuckey, P. J., Teague, V., & Vukcevic, D. (2025). RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited. In J. Budurushi, O. Kulyk, S. Allen, T. Diamandis, A. Klages-Mundt, A. Bracciali, G. Goodell, & S. Matsuo (Eds.), Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops: Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers (pp. 3-17). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 14746). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1

Blom, Michelle ; Stuckey, Peter J. ; Teague, Vanessa et al. / RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections : Revisited. Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops: Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers. editor / Jurlind Budurushi ; Oksana Kulyk ; Sarah Allen ; Theo Diamandis ; Ariah Klages-Mundt ; Andrea Bracciali ; Geoffrey Goodell ; Shin’ichiro Matsuo. Cham Switzerland : Springer, 2025. pp. 3-17 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

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title = "RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited",

abstract = "Single Transferable Vote (STV) elections are a principled approach to electing multiple candidates in a single election. Each ballot has a starting value of 1, and a candidate is elected if they gather a total vote value more than a defined quota. Votes over the quota have their value reduced by a transfer value so as to remove the quota, and are passed to the next candidate on the ballot. Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) are a statistically sound approach to election auditing which guarantees that failure to detect an error in the result is bounded by a limit. A first approach to RLAs for 2-seat STV elections has been defined. In this paper we show how we can improve this approach by reasoning about lower bounds on transfer values, and how we can extend the approach to partially audit an election, if the method does not support a full audit.",

author = "Michelle Blom and Stuckey, {Peter J.} and Vanessa Teague and Damjan Vukcevic",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} International Financial Cryptography Association 2025.; International Conference on Electronic Voting 2024, Voting 2024 ; Conference date: 08-03-2023 Through 08-03-2024",

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Blom, M, Stuckey, PJ, Teague, V & Vukcevic, D 2025, RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited. in J Budurushi, O Kulyk, S Allen, T Diamandis, A Klages-Mundt, A Bracciali, G Goodell & S Matsuo (eds), Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops: Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 14746, Springer, Cham Switzerland, pp. 3-17, International Conference on Electronic Voting 2024, Willemstad, Curacao Island, 8/03/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1

RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited. / Blom, Michelle; Stuckey, Peter J.; Teague, Vanessa et al.
Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops: Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers. ed. / Jurlind Budurushi; Oksana Kulyk; Sarah Allen; Theo Diamandis; Ariah Klages-Mundt; Andrea Bracciali; Geoffrey Goodell; Shin’ichiro Matsuo. Cham Switzerland: Springer, 2025. p. 3-17 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 14746).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

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T1 - RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections

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AU - Teague, Vanessa

AU - Vukcevic, Damjan

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AB - Single Transferable Vote (STV) elections are a principled approach to electing multiple candidates in a single election. Each ballot has a starting value of 1, and a candidate is elected if they gather a total vote value more than a defined quota. Votes over the quota have their value reduced by a transfer value so as to remove the quota, and are passed to the next candidate on the ballot. Risk-limiting audits (RLAs) are a statistically sound approach to election auditing which guarantees that failure to detect an error in the result is bounded by a limit. A first approach to RLAs for 2-seat STV elections has been defined. In this paper we show how we can improve this approach by reasoning about lower bounds on transfer values, and how we can extend the approach to partially audit an election, if the method does not support a full audit.

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Blom M, Stuckey PJ, Teague V, Vukcevic D. RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited. In Budurushi J, Kulyk O, Allen S, Diamandis T, Klages-Mundt A, Bracciali A, Goodell G, Matsuo S, editors, Financial Cryptography and Data Security. FC 2024 International Workshops: Voting, DeFI, WTSC, CoDecFin Willemstad, Curaçao, March 4–8, 2024 Revised Selected Papers. Cham Switzerland: Springer. 2025. p. 3-17. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-69231-4_1

RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Access to Document

Other files and links

In for the count: Maximising trust and reliability in Australian elections

ARC Training Centre in Optimisation Technologies, Integrated Methodologies, and Applications (OPTIMA)

Cite this

RLAs for 2-Seat STV Elections: Revisited

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

In for the count: Maximising trust and reliability in Australian elections

ARC Training Centre in Optimisation Technologies, Integrated Methodologies, and Applications (OPTIMA)

Cite this