Votebots: How to Make ‘Em and How to Stop ‘Em

A “votebot” is a type of software or script that is used to automatically vote on online polls, surveys, forums, or websites. These bots are typically designed to manipulate the results of an online vote by generating a large number of votes quickly. They can be programmed to vote for a particular option, or to vote randomly.

Votebots are often considered unethical or a form of cheating, as they distort the genuine opinion of the human. In many cases, the use of votebots violates the terms of service of websites and can lead to bans or other penalties.

Identifying activity by a votebot, which is a program designed to automatically vote on online posts or content, can be challenging, but there are several signs and strategies you can use to detect such activity:

Bot-completed Honeypot Fields: If you have a honeypot (see below section here), then any hidden fields that were completed when submitting a vote, would be from a bot.

Unnatural Spikes in Voting Analytics: Sudden spikes in votes, especially in a short period, can be a red flag. This is particularly suspicious if the content isn’t exceptionally popular or trending.

Inconsistent Engagement Levels: If there are a large number of votes (upvotes or downvotes) but very little engagement in other forms (like comments or shares), it could indicate bot activity.

Fake-Looking Accounts: Look at the profiles of the users who are voting. Bots often have incomplete profiles, very few posts, or seem to be created recently and solely for voting purposes.

Repetitive IP Address: If you can view the IP addresses of your voters, then they may all have the same one. many votes are coming from similar IP addresses or geographical locations that don’t align with the expected audience, it might indicate bot activity.

Check for Patterns in Types of Content: Bots are often programmed to vote on specific types of content. For example, a Republican party member may use bots to vote on polls to help persuade the outcome in their favor.

Compare with Similar Content: If similar posts or content aren’t getting the same voting patterns, it might suggest manipulation on the ones that do.

Remember, while these signs can suggest bot activity, they are not definitive proofs. Each case should be evaluated carefully considering the context and other available data.

Each platform requires different votebot software. So to upvote on Discord or reddit, you’ll need different scripts from those on X or PollDaddy.

Here’s a few things you’ll need to create a votebot:

1)  Votebot Scripts:

There are several open source scripts on github and you’ll need a basic developer understanding to use these tools:

• • PollMommy is one you can use to vote on PollDaddy polls (now “Crowd Signal”). As mentioned ealier, PollDaddy’s polling platform is used by companies such as BBC and Forbes.
  • Voter is a bot for Steam. The code is a bit dated and you need to be logged in to Steam to use it, but it’s an option.
  • VoteBot is a bot for Poll.fm (now “CrowdSignal”). It’s a smaller platform largely used for more proprietary polling data.
  • AutoHotkey – This one is a bit different. It can be programmed to emulate mouse movements to potentially vote on a poll, refresh the screen and vote again.

2)  Proxies:

Proxies are the linchpin in the operation of votebots. They offer anonymity, speed, and a global presence. By rotating through a pool of proxy IPs, votebots can cast votes from seemingly distinct locations, enhancing the illusion of genuine voter turnout. This capability is essential in circumventing security measures designed to detect and block artificial voting patterns.

3)  Accounts:

Some polls and surveys only allow 1 vote per poll, per user so they require you to be logged in to help mitigate abuse. So in that case you’ll need to create separate accounts with passwords to add to your scripts before you can use a votebot.