A couple of hours ago, I have been informed that there are discrepancies on voting results between dPoll interface and the blockchain.

Before going into details, I want to thank @abh12345 for asking me the situation privately before posting the issue into the public.

The problem

dPoll uses main posts as polls, and comments as votes. Whenever you post a poll, a secret json metadata is written to the blockchain. That's the same with votes.

• People may delete the comment from Steemit. This operation doesn't actually delete the comment but sends a signal that it's deleted. The comment operations still stay in the history of the blockchain, However,get_content_replies doesn't return the deleted comments.

• People may edit the comments with alternative Steem apps. These apps may hijack the json_metadata, therefore removes the voting_data when they're used for editing.

So, if we want to verify the dPoll interface results with blockchain, we need to have lots of checks.

The solution

I have coded a verification script in Python. It's workflow is simple:

• Get the dPoll results from dpoll API.

• Call get_content_replies. (Asking data to the blockchain directly.)

• Check each comment's json metadata to see if the dPoll vote is there. If it's not, add the missing votes into a missing_votes list.

• For each missing vote, check if the author deleted a dpoll vote comment. If that's the case, mark the vote as correct.

• If the author didn't delete the comment, then check for author's account history to see any other dApp overwrites the json_metadata. If that's the case, mark the vote as correct.

After all these processes, if there are still missing votes on the blockchain, then we can say we can say we have a problem at dPoll side.

Output of the audit script

Possible discrepancies
{'Actifit': [],
 'Crowdmind': [],
 'Dsound': [],
 'Freewritehouse': ['bennettitalia'],
 'Qurator': ['p15', 'shikika'],
 'Spunkeemonkee': [],
 'SteemNurse': [],
 'SteemitBloggers': ['steemitwitchery', 'harmonyval'],
 'Team-CN': ['dolphinp',
             'bullionstackers',
             'sukhoi-su',
             'steem4vote',
             'dolphin-power8',
             'vote4u',
             'whalepower-guide',
             'reservoir',
             'the-exocet',
             'seawise-giant',
             'ninedragons',
             'minuteman111',
             'word-of-the-day',
             'dolphin-power3',
             'surion',
             'dolphin-power6',
             'dolphin-power7',
             'whalepower',
             'applex',
             'timeblock',
             'c-solstice',
             'ppagoda',
             'bagger293',
             'globalex',
             'woodside',
             'tanaman',
             'simpanan',
             'quarantine',
             'shenyang-j',
             'helios',
             'cairns',
             'tenaga-satu',
             'the-excavator',
             'paul-gillbanks',
             'meko200',
             'solidgold',
             'coonawarra',
             'ballarat',
             'v-1',
             'balancepower',
             'al-amanah',
             'l00',
             'prominent',
             'public-advocate',
             'dolphin-power9',
             'worldclub',
             'point-blank',
             'dolphin-power10',
             'mk111',
             'dragon-blade',
             'sky-bolt',
             'storm-shadow',
             'pterosaur',
             'freeservice',
             'author-fund',
             'global-pillar',
             'the-reef',
             'sbd4vot',
             'm85'],
 'Votovzla': ['amico']}
------------------------------------------
Checking account history for comment deletions
Checking @bennettitalia
Found deleted comment by bennettitalia. (TRX id: 3beefd8b76a92d6bde77ce1ecd88a54a8a543144, block id: 29829594
Checking @p15
Found deleted comment by p15. (TRX id: a4dbc3400c3f9f5566d94027508ba3ea0aeee55b, block id: 29898356
Checking @shikika
{'parent_author': 'theycallmedan', 'parent_permlink': 'which-steem-project-should-i-delegate-10k-steempower-to-for-1-year', 'author': 'shikika', 'permlink': '200e7472-8bff-4d75-81b2-742425d008d0', 'title': '', 'body': "Voted for _Qurator_.\n\nHi,\n\nHave a good day! 😀\n\nI've been a member of Qurator a long time ago. Even though I am not active on discord, [@qurator](https://steemit.com/@qurator) never fails to support me. [@qurator](https://steemit.com/@qurator) helps me a lot grows in this platform. Hoping [@qurator](https://steemit.com/@qurator) will win coz I am pretty sure that [@qurator](https://steemit.com/@qurator) can help more and boost more quality contents.\n\nThank you and kind regards.\n[@shikika](https://steemit.com/@shikika)", 'json_metadata': '{"app":"partiko","client":"android"}'}
shikika: partiko
Found overwrite by @partiko! (TRX id: 7c4ff6eaef813754cdb9b1220a5de6a97c91a4f4, block id: 29833386
Checking @steemitwitchery
DPOLL BUG. Couldn't find any reference for @steemitwitchery
Checking @harmonyval
DPOLL BUG. Couldn't find any reference for @harmonyval
Checking @dolphinp
Found deleted comment by dolphinp. (TRX id: 1b7cae199630d636219f53aa08b19b57e8f68357, block id: 29905916
Checking @bullionstackers
Found deleted comment by bullionstackers. (TRX id: 51d892da21a316ae8fa0d73c361cd2dee7d2e574, block id: 29899419
Checking @sukhoi-su
Found deleted comment by sukhoi-su. (TRX id: 6e0380260ee763724e280d81257c18dc494e7af6, block id: 29900868
Checking @steem4vote
Found deleted comment by steem4vote. (TRX id: 247c24428e726cc0d70cd3be4e32776556dd4cc3, block id: 29900982
Checking @dolphin-power8
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power8. (TRX id: 71fffff10cedecc910f98e2aaab2becef75fb44e, block id: 29926861
Checking @vote4u
Found deleted comment by vote4u. (TRX id: 138c52301c386b0081c126f766ad961d2bb8b0db, block id: 29886008
Checking @whalepower-guide
Found deleted comment by whalepower-guide. (TRX id: d9ecde8e25ab5627354c7cee10585d1471d4c14c, block id: 29901995
Checking @reservoir
Found deleted comment by reservoir. (TRX id: 3b8513e134cca0293df1c2c0c99aa572441baecb, block id: 29902617
Checking @the-exocet
Found deleted comment by the-exocet. (TRX id: da9b640ddd1f407eb7eaddaf731e304e45a27df2, block id: 29901645
Checking @seawise-giant
Found deleted comment by seawise-giant. (TRX id: 63211eba0399a2ebd18373ced500c4772f837bb1, block id: 29906475
Checking @ninedragons
Found deleted comment by ninedragons. (TRX id: 0073519338bf68eacbe7f130e37724b745aae524, block id: 29901165
Checking @minuteman111
Found deleted comment by minuteman111. (TRX id: 2529614806644c4a448c5ad2cf9f14cfe56e7729, block id: 29901284
Checking @word-of-the-day
Found deleted comment by word-of-the-day. (TRX id: c6063c587177c56fa81f3d2e05525ac706ef2f6c, block id: 29902058
Checking @dolphin-power3
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power3. (TRX id: e1462f9491f5c278e4f4cfb7c73f19cba4edf07a, block id: 29927433
Checking @surion
Found deleted comment by surion. (TRX id: 9fe9b7c3bbbe467c5a2159d9a73f8bc2f64a4616, block id: 29902178
Checking @dolphin-power6
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power6. (TRX id: a004a8679699f4e4b12755f2a9ed8a85ea3de701, block id: 29927043
Checking @dolphin-power7
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power7. (TRX id: 49ae680ded12fcf1f45a46d31567482ffe554e98, block id: 29926941
Checking @whalepower
Found deleted comment by whalepower. (TRX id: 0200a6b234d5589d9a1f33aefb3ff328d9f23658, block id: 29901904
Checking @applex
Found deleted comment by applex. (TRX id: 34691e8906f4ecb79197d0e496729e01f0cb6e90, block id: 29902444
Checking @timeblock
Found deleted comment by timeblock. (TRX id: 119853a989b091cb6e8b815e839b2c191fd10850, block id: 29903453
Checking @c-solstice
Found deleted comment by c-solstice. (TRX id: 24323d74c062ee6e050909cef96c8c5dfa46989a, block id: 29903696
Checking @ppagoda
Found deleted comment by ppagoda. (TRX id: 1d72921004c8b82bb9de8d88d148bc62ea44a549, block id: 29905743
Checking @bagger293
Found deleted comment by bagger293. (TRX id: b7ee9e60d2505cf4228e82175883757866717082, block id: 29905817
Checking @globalex
Found deleted comment by globalex. (TRX id: c1605c45bc53db534e60cc9f43a7d4b395e10d4b, block id: 29906070
Checking @woodside
Found deleted comment by woodside. (TRX id: e55589318642df0345933e7896ed94a542a4d67d, block id: 29906322
Checking @tanaman
Found deleted comment by tanaman. (TRX id: 1365947901d8706916fffdbd936c02adc95e3c23, block id: 29908073
Checking @simpanan
Found deleted comment by simpanan. (TRX id: a663972ad741f300dd9d8be16dc73c01182a8628, block id: 29908302
Checking @quarantine
Found deleted comment by quarantine. (TRX id: adc40afe05884ce12798b426746c12b4a6b7d884, block id: 29908648
Checking @shenyang-j
Found deleted comment by shenyang-j. (TRX id: 445d2d9ab8efe00a138b14883697a05479e34b88, block id: 29910065
Checking @helios
Found deleted comment by helios. (TRX id: 955efa87d7ec9b3a7c73204cbd3cdf2d2401f08c, block id: 29910138
Checking @cairns
Found deleted comment by cairns. (TRX id: d2f6b069f9cf21f28a201f77cf136f03820bf6be, block id: 29910265
Checking @tenaga-satu
Found deleted comment by tenaga-satu. (TRX id: a4a3c93bd52dd789ec95499d546188030fe2e616, block id: 29910341
Checking @the-excavator
Found deleted comment by the-excavator. (TRX id: 048cd932667e263b827066879cdf3d23ced519b1, block id: 29910584
Checking @paul-gillbanks
Found deleted comment by paul-gillbanks. (TRX id: 7c111ead46682fcdbce3cbd122c99e7eb11dad4a, block id: 29924367
Checking @meko200
Found deleted comment by meko200. (TRX id: e16361d4bbc088a6ebdf4d5e8e166c4ba87d9e5a, block id: 29924523
Checking @solidgold
Found deleted comment by solidgold. (TRX id: b25e48795de56f94703c25248aa5640ffb67ede7, block id: 29924725
Checking @coonawarra
Found deleted comment by coonawarra. (TRX id: 12d8864e7f079ab72f860442bc32dbb2fc889de3, block id: 29924805
Checking @ballarat
Found deleted comment by ballarat. (TRX id: f2a7ad8c3a1f9ea145e32288154ca992dba4bc1f, block id: 29924931
Checking @v-1
Found deleted comment by v-1. (TRX id: d0d1709cfc2f44b66e7bc7656298293c4a74843e, block id: 29925074
Checking @balancepower
Found deleted comment by balancepower. (TRX id: e07fe4b83f7d104fdcf31c815584e08496997abe, block id: 29925320
Checking @al-amanah
Found deleted comment by al-amanah. (TRX id: 0032be00686e3a705dc4dcda6fdbed610e016037, block id: 29925381
Checking @l00
Found deleted comment by l00. (TRX id: 2d0d1820cda125256e5197487e15ba51af3342ff, block id: 29926308
Checking @prominent
Found deleted comment by prominent. (TRX id: bf0efe6709e628c4440600fa2442ccc5255cd052, block id: 29926434
Checking @public-advocate
Found deleted comment by public-advocate. (TRX id: 6b9ed8e73adc1ea3d6062d4a0982a9948bc0032b, block id: 29926802
Checking @dolphin-power9
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power9. (TRX id: 66e44a1ff3c8f6d11c290fc49b6048950d93144d, block id: 29926996
Checking @worldclub
Found deleted comment by worldclub. (TRX id: 0f3482324d0993725173e4869b66ad4c9ef8df9d, block id: 29927192
Checking @point-blank
Found deleted comment by point-blank. (TRX id: e564db07443afef14217b77cbbe3c957cb603074, block id: 29927253
Checking @dolphin-power10
Found deleted comment by dolphin-power10. (TRX id: 7b711b4c4627734abadd3ce70da9f42ca20e0892, block id: 29927305
Checking @mk111
Found deleted comment by mk111. (TRX id: 639ee845ed61a95d873dd8cea413741b1b9b993e, block id: 29927352
Checking @dragon-blade
Found deleted comment by dragon-blade. (TRX id: cdf5349809a9dd96a48dcd2a632ba37e6c804756, block id: 29927705
Checking @sky-bolt
Found deleted comment by sky-bolt. (TRX id: 2be74def060af923417187e85da7a3ecd7966bcf, block id: 29927807
Checking @storm-shadow
Found deleted comment by storm-shadow. (TRX id: d09c71b0146af2b88bcf7cb2a46deb9ef6a55435, block id: 29927868
Checking @pterosaur
Found deleted comment by pterosaur. (TRX id: 8c73471d6b5d3b202e8440de538073184405c87b, block id: 29928034
Checking @freeservice
Found deleted comment by freeservice. (TRX id: c97df9b6144e278875ce5ffaca6faf34caa391a8, block id: 29928175
Checking @author-fund
Found deleted comment by author-fund. (TRX id: ff91678504b0d710f072a0d1fea07c4392b0312e, block id: 29928244
Checking @global-pillar
Found deleted comment by global-pillar. (TRX id: 13a71822e13c55f1a9ece92f3f878926f6147de0, block id: 29928537
Checking @the-reef
Found deleted comment by the-reef. (TRX id: c8959614c978650f7f4859c18412b98320368a34, block id: 29928710
Checking @sbd4vot
Found deleted comment by sbd4vot. (TRX id: abc0756f6dc069f878a95da81d1c1513d0f3941f, block id: 29930133
Checking @m85
Found deleted comment by m85. (TRX id: 991abfb2018ea872d18b10c2235193de5b91e5c5, block id: 29941425
Checking @amico
{'parent_author': 'theycallmedan', 'parent_permlink': 'which-steem-project-should-i-delegate-10k-steempower-to-for-1-year', 'author': 'amico', 'permlink': 'cb1f698b-e692-4849-9dec-ac8ae20b14ce', 'title': '', 'body': 'Voted for *Votovzla*.\n \nI think that the neediest are Venezuelans: I am convinced that the 10K SP delegation can really make a **HUGE** difference for them!\n\n### Greetings, my friends!', 'json_metadata': '{"tags":["dpoll"],"community":"steempeak","app":"steemit/0.1","image":["}
amico: steemit/0.1
Found overwrite by @steemit/0.1! (TRX id: f5775ea4f276c0d0561911c4826bab081168a5f6, block id: 29885498

Source code of the audit script

• https://gist.github.com/emre/28414c16a03546183f8eaf6a886a7cb5

TL;DR

Regarding @theycallmedan's 10k SP delegation poll:

• There are 2 votes registered on dPoll doesn't have a blockchain reference. (@steemitwitchery, @harmonyval to SteemitBloggers). This looks like a bug in our end. It might be related to this, I need to check the logs and update the code to behave more defensive/transactional. This will be addressed soon.

• There are lots of accounts deleted their comment. (mostly clustered around TEAM-CN choice.) This makes verifying hard. So, if you need to verify, you should also loop through the account history of missing voters.

• There are users edited their comment from alternative interfaces like Partiko. Some interfaces hijack the json_metadata and overwrite their values, there. So, they remove the votes, actually. That's why an account history loop is also required here, too.