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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TechnoLuddite" data-source="post: 5071637" data-attributes="member: 94962">This makes lots of sense -- if the lotto stores ticket entries in, say, a hash table, checking if the winning number is in the set of valid tickets takes almost constant time. Inputting all that data takes linear time, but that happens piecemeal as tickets are sold so you'd never notice the actual delay. Counting ballots also takes linear time, but they do those all at once, and have to physically open the envelopes, so it's gonna take a while.An direct analog would be looking up *who* someone voted for given a hash table of voters and their vote.</blockquote>