Physical and digital secret ballot systems

A trustee method comprising:

• supplying first confidential challenge and corresponding response values by at least one trustee to at least one printer system for printing on media;
• and
• receiving by the at least one trustee challenge data from those who have obtained printed media;
• responding by the at least one trustee to the received challenge data related to the challenge information with the corresponding response information.

A security printing method comprising:

• receiving confidential information intended to be included in printed ballots from multiple sources;
• hiding the individual contributions by combining the confidential information to result in challenges and responses;
• and
• printing the challenge and response information on media to produce an article encoding the combined information.

A security printing system comprising:

• mechanism to receive from multiple sources confidential information intended to be included in printed ballots;
• combining mechanism for hiding the individual contributions by combining the confidential information to result in challenges and responses;
• and
• printing apparatus printing the challenge and response information on media to produce an article encoding the combined information.

A security intermediary method comprising:

• establishing by an intermediary communication with a first entity;
• establishing by the intermediary communication with a second entity;
• receiving by the intermediary requests from the first entity that include the confidential information;
• forwarding by the intermediary the requests to the second entity;
• and
• the intermediary being unable to falsify the choice of candidates made by the first entity and received by the second entity.