There are a number of such systems that do this via revoting or dummy ballots. One of my projects, Votexx, uses vote nullification (or flipping) via a trusted third party chosen by the voter.
The general idea for all of these is if you add uncertainty you reduce what a coercer is willing to pay creating a mutually assured destruction scenario whereby the system being in place ensures nobody ever tries it.
The "I don't trust Signal" articles were one of the things that inspired me to push for making xxm first over other apps. Since then a few other options have also sprung up (Session, cwtch, simplex to name a few).
Also, it wasn't mentioned in the articles, but another issue solved by us and many of these other messengers is use of a private keyboard instead of the vendor/isp ones that can spy on users.
Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that better privacy and security will not beat convenience and network effects when you are competing with "free", so we are changing our approach.
Reports from 2007/2008 had already indicated significant interference and government spying between agencies and with private corporations. Also, at that time it was widely believed but not yet confirmed Dual_EC_DRBG was backdoored via NIST/NSA collaboration.
Many folks equate any US government money with NSA money, and did so especially around this time, which is likely why you made this mistake. Taking any US-backed government money, even at the time Signal took it, was and should be suspect.
IIRC Signal continued to take money even after Snowden. So it is a fair point and not at all idiotic, and the over-reaction after you agreed to correct the article is suspect.
I do think Signal needed that money to survive, and it probably was put to good use, but I would have acted differently and more transparently about how my use of that money was communicated to the public.
The general idea for all of these is if you add uncertainty you reduce what a coercer is willing to pay creating a mutually assured destruction scenario whereby the system being in place ensures nobody ever tries it.
Votexx.org if you want to learn more.