I wonder . . . it sort of sounds like a browser prefetch or AI feature gone wrong.

Do we know if the humans were all using the same web browser software (say, Chrome 151)?

Hm... concerning.

Azul, I'm afraid the Chancery is currently investigating 5 ballots that were improperly submitted on the Database.

One of the five voters wrote me this morning detailing, with clear pictures, how his receipt showed a straight PRESENT ballot despite the confirmation modal on the voting page showing a fully compiled ballot.

I investigated the case through the logging and certification functions of the Database and found that the pattern in all five cases is the following:

• The legitimate (human) voter accesses the ballot;
• Some external (likely non human) actor, with an IP belonging to a Google block and a different UserAgent from the legitimate voter, immediately accesses and submits the ballot;
• The legitimate voter attempts to submit the ballot, but as a ballot in their name was already cast, they get redirected to the receipt for the external actor's vote instead.

In all five instances, the ballots were recorded as straight PRESENT choices. (EDIT: Additionally, it always takes exactly 6 seconds for the ballot to be submitted once accessed by the external actor.)

In three out of five instances, the external actor UserAgent, interestingly, was the same across all instances, and never appeared on any other ballots, EXCEPT for S:r Tzaracomprada's improperly submitted ballot (which also was recorded as straight PRESENT, and which EDIT: took 7 seconds to be submitted), and one single legitimate voter, which I already verified looks normal.

In the other two instances, the UserAgent was only different by a digit and shared by 6 other legitimate voters.

I am honestly at a loss; my theory is some sort of AI agent or bot by Google messing with the regular casting of votes. Either way, this isn't a Database problem, which paradoxically makes it more difficult for me to fix it.

The Chancery will immediately contact all affected voters to explain the situation and offer to recast or correct their ballots.

The Chancery will also explore ways to mitigate the issue going forward, e.g. blocking the Google IP range from which the external actors submitted the ballots, or adding a Captcha of some sort to the Database ballot, which might be challenging with an election actively underway.

A. Elections to the 63rd Cosă: Progressive Alliance (PROG)

B. Elections to the Senate: N.A.

C. Organic Referenda:

• ÜC for 62RZ07, "Executive Power Reform Act and Amendment"
• ÜC for 62RZ14, "Broosking Swing Mitigation Amendment (Reconsideration)"
• ÜC for 62RZ15, "Cunstavál Reform Amendment"
• ÜC for 62RZ26, "Democracy Act and Amendment"
• ÜC for 62RZ27, the "We Have a New-ish King Amendment"

D. Provincial:
Maricopa: Wish to claim a seat in the Cabana
(Ideally, at the end of the Elections, the Secretary of State should send an E-Mail/ Thread to the Provincial SoS stating the names of the people staking a claim in the Provincial Legislatures).

Quote from: Tric'hard Lenxheir on August 16, 2026, 11:12:46 AMI was just wondering if there is any way to follow election results. I found a link to see who has not voted yet but I was wondering if we can see current results, not who voted for who just total votes cast for and against issues and candidated.

The core trouble is that would blow up ballot secrecy. If the system reports a live record of who voted, and a live total of current results, then someone can copy both down, and when the next vote comes, in, they know both who voted and how they voted (because they can see which totals changed).

I find it extremely difficult to believe that anyone here is petty enough to maliciously submit a vote on someone else's behalf. The only person I wouldn't put it past is Breneir, and he's the "victim".

Quote from: Tric'hard Lenxheir on August 16, 2026, 04:44:38 PMI am not a member of any party

So you're not going to be a reliable vote for your old party, the Progressive Alliance, who are backing you in this election?

Sent out: Aug 16, 2026, 4:46 PM TDT / 9:46 PM UTC
Submitted by: Miestră Schiva on behalf of the Uniun dels Reformistaes Livereschti
Count: 1 of 2 allowed after Balloting Day (next one: 23 Aug or later)

---

   
    Talossa's general elections are underway, and I'd like you to vote for the Union of Free Reformists (URL), Talossa's best - and only - political team.
   
    The incumbent government, the Progressive Alliance, admit that they didn't accomplish very much of what they set out to do in this term. We don't think that this is because they're incompetent or untruthful. It's because they're something of a one man band.
   
    Their mailers say "we've done this, we've done that". But that's the royal We - and unfortunately, it includes accomplishments they can't honestly take credit for. The incumbent Seneschal Davinescu is a patrotic Talossan. Unfortunately, he is not five patriotic Talossans.
   
    This isn't just knocking the Government, though. There are five political parties on your Talossan ballot. Four of them are "one man bands" - that is, their leader pretty much is the party.
   
    Only the Union of Free Reformists - formed from a merger of two older parties - have an actual team for leadership. And only a Government which has a team approach will actually accomplish anything worthy in office. We really do have five patriotic Talossans!
   
    In fact, there are their names: the URL Shadow Cabinet
   
    For Seneschal, Finance, Public Records and Technology: Mic'haglh Autófil
    For Justice and Propaganda: Miestră Schivă
    For Immigration and Culture: Marcel Tafial
    For Foreign Affairs: Antaglha Somelieir
    For Defence: Andrïeu Cabischabuerg

Please respond to doloras@randomstatic.net if you have any questions or comments.

There is power in a Union!

restéu voastra,
Miestră Schivă
Party Secretary, Union of Free Reformists

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on August 16, 2026, 03:17:59 PMQuick question, what happened with this?

Quote from: Tric'hard Lenxheir on July 13, 2026, 08:41:39 AMprobably staying out of politics as I really don't think I am cut out for it

This way I can be involved but not beholding to anyone. I can vote my conscience on any issue. I am not a member of any party and I will not get involved in anyone elses political fight. I simply vote on the issues.

Respectfully, there is information that is not public.  I'm not going to argue the point right now, but I do think it's important to take things like this seriously and vigorously, no matter who is involved.  If it turns out to have been a mistake, that's the best version of events and what I hope to have happened.

I do not think that any of this casts a shadow on the Chancery, either way.  The Chancery has performed in an exemplary manner the whole way through.  It is not the job of the Secretary of State to check every link in every message sent by political parties.