Voting in Multi-Agent Systems*

Abstract

Voting is an essential element of mechanism design for multi-agent systems, and by extension applications built on such systems, which includes ad hoc networks, virtual organizations, and decision support tools implementing online deliberative assemblies. Much attention has been given both to designing the process so that it is resistant to manipulation by strategic voting and so that an automated system can follow rules of order as developed for the conduct of formal meetings. In this paper, we define, characterize, formally specify and animate a general voting protocol. In particular we show how the requirements established by the characterization are captured by the specification and are exhibited by the animation. The importance of these requirements is in ensuring robustness by respecting the way in which votes are cast and the outcome is declared, especially as this issue relates to the 2004 ACM Statement on E-Voting.