Debating Internet voting in the UK

Source: www.cbc.ca

The Internet is used for just about every aspect of everyday life. It is where people go to connect with one another through dating sites and social media. It is where people go to shop for the latest fashions and gadgets. It is where they go to get the most up-to-date news and opinions on world events. It's where they do their banking and even use a range of government services.

Given this, it is somewhat surprising that voting over the Internet, sometimes called i-voting and occasionally included in the broader discussion of e-voting, hasn't already been more widely implemented in more countries around the world. To further this discussion, Senior Political Correspondent Jason Farrell of the UK's Sky News recently engaged in an online webchat via Google Hangouts with three guests on the merits and challenges of casting a ballot via the web. The full replay of the 22 minute debate has been uploaded to YouTube.

In that discussion, WebRoots Democracy founder Areeq Chowdhury points out that it's almost a common sense point to modernize the democracy in the United Kingdom and bring it up to date by offering an online option for voting in elections. The Internet, as mentioned above, already infiltrates such a wide range of daily activities and to retain the archaic pen-and-paper method of casting a ballot as the primary method of voting feels incredibly outdated.

Indeed, just as Sir Richard Branson feels that the Internet is the future of voting, all of the guests on the program also support its adoption, but not without some hesitations. There is the risk of security threats for “hacked” votes that would compromise the integrity and legitimacy of election results. Chowdhury agrees that there are risks and there will be flaws. He also agrees that the lack of a paper trail to verify votes cast can also be worrisome, but he feels that the bigger risk at play is the risk of losing even more voters. The drop in voter turnout has been alarming and it needs to be address. The electorate needs to be more engaged with the political process and taking the vote online, along with other tools related to the election, can help to keep the modern political system relevant for voters both young and old.

To this end, Emma Mulqueeny of the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy feels that should an i-voting system be implemented in the United Kingdom, it makes more sense to look at the things that people are already engaging with online. She uses the example of social media, like Facebook, as a possible route for developing an online voting system rather than spending excessive amounts of money to develop a brand new system from scratch that could just as easily be riddled with flaws and problems.

In response to critics and naysayers who fear an online voting system that can be hacked by criminals, Mulqueeny says it is actually far easier to trace a digital footprint online, looking through servers and IP addresses, than it is to trace any ill-doing and tampering through paper ballots. It is harder to be completely anonymous on the Internet. Chowdhury agrees that everything has flaws and nothing is 100% secure, but people are still willing to utilize services – online and offline – that are equally as insecure as an online voting system. The issue is whether or not you can secure it to an adequate level.

Perhaps one of the most telling perspectives came from National Youth Council in Estonia member Marju Tamp as Estonia has been a leader in the I-voting revolution for a number of years. She says the security has been “flawless” and the Internet-based voting has been a very positive experience overall. Surprisingly, the older generation is actually accepting i-voting more happily than youth in her country.

Internet voting offers a compelling possibility in the United Kingdom and throughout the rest of the democratic world. Watch the full 22-minute Stand Up Debate from Sky News on YouTube.

Why the future of democracy should embrace e-voting

Source: www.tmglobalist.org

What may be perceived as novel or foreign to an older generation could be the norm for the younger ones. They grew up around technology and it is their expectation that just about everything can be completed online in some way. They expect to use their smartphones and tablets to connect to the world. They expect to interact with the rest of the world in a digital way. Given this, they can view more traditional paper ballots for elections as an archaic and outdated practice, one that they may not wish to participate in because of this perception.

In the future, Government agencies should embrace having more technology involved in the electoral process, in order to engage the younger voters, stirring up their interest in politics today so that they will continue to be involved for years to come.

Indeed, this is why the Rock the Vote movement of the 1990s has suddenly received new life in 2014. The original movement played an integral role in the 1992 general election in the United States and it was through this targeted engagement of younger people that Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States. Voter turnout among those aged 18-24 dramatically increased during that period, voting overwhelmingly for Clinton. Indeed, it is similarly through technology, pop culture and the engagement with young people that current President Barack Obama got elected to office.

Leading up to 2014 midterm elections in the United States, Rock the Vote will be deploying an updated strategy to improve voter turnout among younger voters. The goal of the organization is to register 1.5 million people, focusing heavily on the youth vote. They're also approaching the Latino community and approaching issues related to the voting process that affect these demographics.

Getting young people to vote has historically been a challenge and it may be more difficult than ever. Less than a quarter of those polled by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics between the ages of 18 and 29 years old said they would “definitely be voting” in the upcoming election. That needs to change and e-voting could be part of the solution. Young people have said that they either don't know or can't be bothered with absentee ballots sent through postal mail; they would much prefer a fully online solution. If polling places had e-voting machines that were connected to a central network, it would be conceivable for these young voters to cast their ballot from anywhere in the country. The terminal would simply bring up their local information. That's just one possibility.

Considering that an increasingly number of less developed countries around the world—like India, Namibia and Nigeria—are embracing technology in some form or another for their elections and how this is actively engaging the youth demographic and getting them much more interested in the politics of their area, more developed and established countries like the United States need to catch up. They need to bring e-voting to the forefront and capture the interest of younger voters who have become increasingly disinterested and disenchanted with the democratic process.

E-voting, in one form or another, can help shape the future of democracy. 

US presidential commission recommends online voter registration

Source: Google Images

Much of what we do these days is on the Internet. We channel much of our communication online, using channels like social media, instant messengers and e-mail. We manage our finances with various online tools and we take care of our money with online banking. Depending on the jurisdiction where you live, you might also be able to file your income tax through a web portal. Why is it, then, that some governments still insist that voters have to register in person when an online voter registration system would be far more efficient and potentially far more effective in improving overall voter turnout?

In January of this year, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration in the United States of America put together a report called The American Voting Experience where it outlined some of its key findings for the electoral process in the country. It also provided a number of key recommendations that could improve how Americans vote in future elections, like reducing wait times at polling places.

The Commission calls to improve the accuracy of registration rolls to expand access, prevent fraud and reduce administrative costs. One of the key recommendations offered by the Commission to achieve these goals is through the modernization of the registration process, particularly when it comes to the “continued expansion of online voter registration.”

A number of online registration tools are already provided through the website of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and these are being recommended to the states to adopt for their own online registration. Voters can then go through the process from the convenience of their homes, going through the secure web portal to register for upcoming elections. This saves a lot of time for administration, as all of the necessary fields can already populate the database without the need for a data entry clerk. This has been a problem for many states, as the traditional record keeping system still utilizes “outdated paper-based registration systems requiring data entry by government employees.”

The central database of voters can then be more easily shared between other state agencies and potentially outside groups. When a voter moves to a different residence, he can update the address himself through the online portal to keep everything up to date. This has otherwise been a problem for the paper-based system, which has led to much incorrect information in the records.

Improved voter registration is the first step toward improving overall voter turnout, which is absolutely crucial to the democratic process. Online voter registration can increase overall numbers, as evidenced in Arizona where registration rates “increased from 29 percent to 53 percent among voters aged 18 to 24 with the adoption of an online system.” Voters with disabilities have improved access too, particularly those with limited mobility.

What's more, the lineups on Election Day can be shortened, as voters would have already registered online ahead of time and clerks will have easier access to the database. Security is also improved, as “clean” rolls minimize the vulnerability to fraud. Online voter registration offers a plethora of advantages and jurisdictions across the country and around the world should give it some serious consideration.