BBC News | VOTE USA 2000 | Opening up the digital democracy

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BBC News Online: In Depth: US Elections: Vote USA 2000

Monday, 10 January, 2000, 16:34 GMT

Opening up the digital democracy

By BBC News Online's Kevin Anderson in Washington

This March, the Democratic Party in the US State of Arizona will hold what it is calling the first legally-binding election over the internet.

They hope an internet voting option in the party primary will increase voter participation.

Arizona is one of several states exploring the possibility of using the web as a virtual voting booth. The states of Florida, Iowa, Washington and California have organised task forces to investigate the feasibility of online voting.

However, concerns about security and privacy are slowing the adoption of online voting.

Experts in voter behaviour question whether voting over the net will increase voter participation in a country that has one of the lowest voter turnouts of any democratic country in the world.

21st Century polls

In the past 50 years, voting has changed very little, says Cortland Coleman, political director of the Arizona Democratic Party.

With voting over the web, instead of going to a polling place and standing in line for a half hour, people will be able to go online, check the morning news, make a bid at eBay and then place their vote, he says.

The Arizona Democrats believe that the excitement surrounding the internet will transfer to the electoral process and help increase voter turnout.

Mark Fleisher, state party chairman, hopes that the online election will "increase participation and access to voting, particularly among 18 to 34-year-olds, who have a history of a dismal turnout in elections."

He believes that online voting will resonate with young people who feel a connection to technology and the internet.

"I think they will feel finally that politics is speaking to them," he says.

Privacy and security

To ensure privacy and security, Mr Coleman says every voter will be issued with a "virtual ballot" specially designed to be used only once.

We are still a few innovations away from allowing people to vote from the comfort of their own home or office
Alfie Charles
California Internet Voting Task Force

But not everyone is confident that the technology is secure enough yet to ensure the privacy and validity of the election.

In March 1999, the Secretary of State of California formed an "Internet Voting Task Force" to study the feasibility of online elections.

Alfie Charles, who leads the body, says their research uncovered impediments to voting on the net that will not allow it completely to replace traditional voting.

They have plotted a four-part transition to allow limited voting online. The first small step is the introduction of computer voting terminals controlled by county voting officials, with the eventual goal of allowing voters to cast their ballot from a remote location, Mr Charles said.

But he says, "we are still a few innovations away from allowing people to vote from the comfort of their own home or office."

The task force still has major concerns over protecting individual voter privacy and security and safeguarding the integrity of the ballot.

Other concerns include:

An inability to identify online voters with certainty
No guarantee of the security of remote computers, especially from "Trojan Horse" attacks which might allow other users to gain control of voters' computers
The inability to guarantee privacy on office computers where network administrators have higher levels of access to users' computers and might be able to examine unencrypted voting information on users' machines.

Boosting the vote

But as with the Arizona Democratic Party, California hopes that the ease of voting online and the excitement surrounding the net will translate into higher voter turnout.

The theory is that young people love the internet and will then flock to vote - that is ridiculous
Dr Michael Cornfield

"I think that [the evidence] is more anecdotal and theoretical at this point," Mr Charles says. "But by using a medium that is used by people who are least likely to vote, we assume that it will assist in getting those people to participate."

However, political scientist Dr Michael Cornfield does not believe that the net will help overcome voter apathy and alienation or increase turnout.

He says there is no evidence that anyone is turning to online voting other than from people who are trying to make money by selling online voting software.

Dr Cornfield says two transitions must happen to bring voters to the polls: The person must go from being apathetic to interested, and then from being interested to being active.

"The internet helps on the second but not the first," he says.

Internet users interested in politics and elections actively seek out those sites dedicated to those topics, but the internet does not increase interest in politics and elections.

"The theory is that young people love the internet and will then flock to vote - that is ridiculous," Dr Cornfield says.

"People vote because they are interested in the issues, not because of the internet."

Internet Links: Arizona Democrats California Government: Department of Information Technology Votation.com VoteHere.net eBallot.net Worldwide Election Systems Inc.
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