Would you trust online voting?

One of the world's leading experts on electronic voting is meeting government officials to warn them that computer polls cannot be trusted.

Rebecca Mercuri, assistant professor of computer science at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania says voting through the internet or touch screens gives more chance for electoral fraud.

The government had suggested that e-voting could replace the traditional ballot box by 2006 as means of attracting the under-40s back to the democratic process.

Ms Mercuri argues that internet voting is even less safe than traditional voting since websites could be "spoofed, identities can be stolen and the whole thing is open to international attack".

Would you trust your vote online? Could it encourage young people to vote? Or is it all just a gimmick?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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Your reaction

It is not the voting system that's wrong - it's the politicians

Marc Pearce, England

We have a system which has been trustworthy and has worked extremely well over the years. To try and get more people to use their vote the politicians have to again win the trust of the people. They have to listen to the people and if in government govern for the people, not for their own self interests. E-voting will not get the people to vote because it is not the voting system that's wrong - it's the politicians. Blair being the worst.
Marc Pearce, England

We live in the 21st century so our democratic process should reflect that fact. I cannot accept that it is not secure to vote electronically when you can bank and shop securely online!
Kelvin Blake, Bristol, UK

Definitely not. What is this world coming to? If we don't care enough to make an effort to be part of our society (by taking five minutes out of the day to drive down to the polls), then can we be surprised at the deteriorating society we live in?
ALM, USA

I would hope that Prof Mercuri has been quoted out of context. There are plenty of methods of authentication that will reliably identify voters, provided that the government invests enough money. The current manual voting schemes are much more insecure, requiring only that the person holds a voting card. I dial into my employer's computer using a "seven digit random number" token which changes every 30 seconds, that coupled with other security measures identifies me uniquely.
Charles, England

Compare with our system: hand-marked ballots, hand-counted by council workers whose integrity has never been questioned. It works, it's fair, why change it?
Ben Drake, York, UK

Ben Drake, York: Looks like you didn't see how and what computer they used. Punch cards are just not very reliable. And cannot really be compared with how it would work today.
Andy, UK

I'm not sure I can trust the existing system, let alone on line!
Phil, England

No. If people can't be bothered to take a short walk to the polling station they don't deserve to have the vote.
Timothy Helm, England

Gimmicky proposals under the guise of being "modern"

Paul B, Oxfordshire, UK

It's a gimmick along with proposals for polling booths in supermarkets at weekends and the like. These ideas are being promoted by politicians who are on the run because poll turnouts are at a low-point. This is nothing to do with convenience; it's to do with the voting public being sick of the nature of modern day politics and politicians. There is nothing and nobody worth voting for. The proposal for alternative polling methods is to cover this up. Casting a vote is a serious business and people will take the trouble if they feel that there is value in the process. All we get is politicians making gimmicky proposals under the guise of being "modern".
Paul B, Oxfordshire, UK

I am a non-voter, not to due to laziness but that there is no such thing as an honest politician so there is no point in voting. However speaking as a techie, e-voting is unsafe as there is no such thing as a watertight system no matter what the proponents of the idea will say. And I might add that many hackers would find the idea of compromising a nation's election irresistible.
Paolo Sammut, UK

Of cause I don't trust online voting. The technology and security infrastructure are not mature enough for online voting yet.
HL, USA

Should online voting be trusted? Absolutely, but only if the Tories don't win!
G McAleer, UK

Someone could force you to vote one way or the other

Graham, UK

There is no safeguard against 'stand-over' tactics even if the technology was safe. In the privacy of your home someone could force you to vote one way or the other. This is pointless anyway; nothing will change without a change in the way the votes are counted, not the way they are cast.
Graham, UK

I don't trust the British Government at all, in real life or on the internet.
Paul, England

Look at the fiasco in Florida in the Bush versus Gore election, counted by computer. Add online voting as well, and just imagine the mayhem!