Virtual Voices: Why Americans Need Online Voting

We’ve talked about how campaigns are changing to accommodate both a virtual presence in games like Second Life and a real-world campaign office.

We’ve talked about how government is increasingly involving itself in virtual worlds as cheap, effective means of spreading information.

But what about the voter? When does the ballot box move online? Pixels and Policy explores the technological problems and hard work needed to bring online voting to America.

Online voting currently suffers from two technical obstacles: security and accessibility. Of these, security remains a persistent issue. Second Life accounts are a constant target of scammers and hackers, and anyone who has recently played a browser game like Runescape understands how prevalent phising schemes remain.

The Best (Virtual) Defense

But as we’ve seen from NATO’s recent plan to construct a virtual headquarters, security is no longer the insurmountable issue it was several years ago.

The flawed belief that an online voting system would exist on a network like that of Second Life is finally giving way to what may eventually become a workable online voting system run by governments and protected in much the same way as our current national security installations. 

At one point last summer, the Pentagon suffered nearly one million cyber-attacks in a single day, requiring tough new standards on the use of external hardware.

Despite these assaults, no sensitive information was compromised. Though it is unnerving to consider the scale of attacks against Pentagon software, the system performed as intended. 

An online voting system could work in much the same way online license plate renewal works, but with additional technological safeguards. There is evidence we're moving in this direction already - in 2004, the Pentagon piloted the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment. It performed to task, but the powers that be opted against expansion of the program.

After a few confirmation screens (and a clearly visible phone number to call if you are in need of voting assistance) you might have the option of printing out a copy of your electronic ballot. If you see any problems after submitting your ballot, you can contact the local Election Committee. For those who feel uncomfortable, the old method of physical voting will still be available.

Online voting has the potential to expand representation to millions of plugged-in Americans who don’t vote in the traditional way.

By allowing the online voter to cast a ballot at any time (with the understanding that they can change that ballot at any point before the close of physical polling places on election night) we don’t confine the electorate to voting in one twelve-hour window on a work day.

Voter Education

For those who worry about all of those e-ballots sitting around weeks before an election, consider absentee ballots. These fill the same early-voting purposes as a proposed online system, but instead of being stored in a database, these votes are literally boxed up and left in a warehouse until counting time comes around.

Public education on how virtual voting works will be necessary. There's also a major trust issue - some people just aren't going to trust the government regardless of how they innovate. But this is no reason to stop innovating.

Public education on virtual voting won't be an easy task. It involves reaching out to the virtual world while airing an extensive old-media public relations campaign on the airwaves.

It involves real-world town hall discussions to explain to voters what virtual voting means, and, yes, why you can still only vote once. If our handling of the analog television phase-out is any indication, a public education plan would have to hit the streets years before the implementation of electronic/virtual voting.

Regardless of the initial problems of bringing virtual voting to America, its civic benefit more than makes up for any logistical problems encountered during the infancy of the online ballot. This is America, where voting remains one of the few civic activities in which people participate.

If we can build a system that can identify retinas in airports, don't say we can't build one to enhance the voice of our citizens.

Comments

[Snickers Snook]

FWIW, I do not want it to ever become easy, mindless and casual to vote. The process needs to be considered, deliberate and serious. Those who have a stake in learning about the issues and the candidates are far more likely to make informed decisions rather than those whose vote is the mental equivalent of tweeting. Technology is not the answer to everything.

[online voting system]

Really nice article and really online voting is a great way to do voting.i think in every place there should be online voting because one advantage is that you can do the voting at any time and also there is no chances for manipulations so in america and in every country there should be online voting