At its most fundamental core, the ultimate goal of any true democracy is to best represent the will of the people. And it is of absolutely paramount importance to note that the democracy should not only represent the will of some people from a particular demographic or sub-set of the population; the democratic process should account for the views, opinions and desires of as many eligible citizens as possible.
And while this may sound like such an obvious truth, there
has been a growing problem with voter apathy and dwindling voter turnout in
many democracies all around the globe. This is all while so many other nations
are desperately fighting for the opportunity to elect their own governments in
a fair and transparent manner. For some, the reason why they choose not to vote
is that they are not engaged with the political process, disenchanted with
apathy and corruption. They do not feel that the political process is relevant
to their everyday lives.
In the "Viral Voting" report issued by WebRoots
Democracy, many of these issues are explored in the context of the United
Kingdom, but they can be just as applicable in many other places around the
globe. In particular, the report takes a look at the youth vote and what it
will take to encourage more young people to visit the polls. This is not a new
topic and it has been stated many times before that the future of democracy should
embrace e-voting technology.
In the WebRoots report, Head of Citizenship and Political
Participation Programme at Demos Jonathan Birdwell indicates that only 44% of
those aged 18 to 24 voted in the 2010 election, while 74% of those over 55
voted. This gap is incredibly significant. It's not that young people don't
care about the future of their respective countries. They may not be voting in
the same proportion as older generations, but many are actively poltical in
more informal ways. The challenge is engaging this demographic so that the
voting process can once again be relevant to them.
E-voting and online voting may not be the "magic
bullets" to suddenly turn the tides and erase widespread political
distrust and apathy. However, it is an important step in making the political
process relevant among a generation that grew up on the Internet and surrounded
by electronic technology in nearly every aspect of their everyday lives. There
has been much debate about introducing
Internet voting in the UK and the
push continues to this day. For young people, voting with a paper ballot in
a booth can feel archaic and dated; they have come to expect the omnipresent
convenience of online tools and services. Voting should be no different, while
maintaining physical polling stations as an option for everyone.And it´s not just about young people either. Ad Agatka Cienciala points put in her Foreword in the WebRoots report, some groups can feel "alienated form the democratic process." Online voting and properly configured direct recording e-voting machines con alleviate some of the accesibility issues for voters with disabilities, for instance. Indeed, Agatka asserts that politics should be inclusive, "seeking to represent all members of society." As a key pillar of democracy, this fundamental right cannot and should not be impeded.
The report provides several valuable recommendations for the
UK government to follow. Some key highlights include:
- Implementation
of an accessible online voting option in time for the 2020 General
Election
- Engagement
with social media companies to integrate online voting platforms
- Creation
of a central voting website
- Adoption
of 2-step mobile verification for voter authentication, similar to the
systems used by Google and Dropbox
- A fair and open competition among vendors of voting technology starting in 2015
And it´s not just about young people either. Ad Agatka Cienciala points put in her Foreword in the WebRoots report, some groups can feel "alienated form the democratic process." Online voting and properly configured direct recording e-voting machines con alleviate some of the accesibility issues for voters with disabilities, for instance. Indeed, Agatka asserts that politics should be inclusive, "seeking to represent all members of society." As a key pillar of democracy, this fundamental right cannot and should not be impeded.
