“California citizens should be online - not in line.”
CA
Secretary of State Bill Jones (Republican) in 2000
LET FACTS
DISPEL FEAR
In the 1990s CA SoS Bill Jones established The Internet
Voting Task Force to study the prospects for Digital Democracy in this state.
Based upon the only knowledge they had at that time – the 1990s – the Report
concluded, among other things, that there wasn’t enough evidence to know whether
elections using Internet voting could be conducted securely.
Since then, elections using Internet voting have been
conducted securely over 100 times, around the world. Estonia now conducts
elections online regularly. Switzerland has had more than 35 elections and
votes on referenda via Internet voting. Norway provided for online voting for
its second time in 2013. Over 40 cities in Canada continue to have
voting online. West Virginia provided online voting for its overseas military
voters in 2010. These instances, and more, are recounted in the US Elections
Assistance Commission (EAC) Report of 2011, at
www.eac.gov/assets/1/Documents/SIV-FINAL.pdf,
and this blog.
Not ONE of these elections for public office has had results
that were affected by security incidents – not one. We can be sure of this
because the local officials, journalists, seasoned election observers, lawyers,
judges, voters, even losing candidates agree the results are acceptable.
When set up by pros the security risks can be managed. Pros
know the possible attacks, and how to defend against them.
Officials in Gujarat, India reported that during their first
online voting trial in 2011, “we fended off 4,000 attempted hackings from
Pakistan, Taiwan and even China.”
Internet voting is not like e-commerce. Access to servers is
far more restricted. There is no email access. The process is only open for a
few days, not 24/7/365.
Tarvis Martens, security specialist for Estonia’s National
Election Commission, says that their system is “more secure than Internet
banking.” http://t.co/Jh6Onyd
MORE POWER TO THE
PEOPLE, LESS POWER TO CORPORATIONS
With candidates holding debates online (and on TV and radio),
followed by voting online, the costs
of campaigns and elections would drop so far as to be affordable for FULL Public
Financing. The need for Big Money Donors could be eliminated. Elected officials would owe their election to the
voters only – 100%.
Very soon, legislative out-put would begin meeting the needs
of people for livable wages; low cost, or free, public education and health
care; and the development of a Garden-like environment. Online registration has
resulted in higher voter turnout. Online voting will do the same. No
Constitutional Amendment needed.
The Initiative, Referendum, and Recall can follow the same
model. E-signatures will give the People the power to put new ideas before all
the voters through the Initiative. Online Referendums can be held on proposed
legislation and policies. These, and Recalls too, will be cheaper to conduct
with online debates followed by Internet voting. Paperless politics are best
for the environment.
DIRECT DEMOCRACY in
OUR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
Very little democracy exists within Districts, as elected representatives go off to distant
Capitals to conduct the People’s Business. But now Online Townhall Meetings can
be conducted periodically for the constituents in every elected official’s District – local, state, and federal. The
People can propose legislation to their representative, and she/he can offer
ideas to be discussed and voted on by them.
Such “Constituent Assemblies”
can be implemented by requiring candidates to pledge to support the new
e-democracy process before they are elected. Each election district can have
its own online voting system, rather than a one-size-fits-all system for the
whole state, or nation. Competition among vendors will spur the development of
products with increasing quality.
Lovers of Democracy Unite! First we need a law from
Sacramento permitting each county to try Internet voting as a supplement to its
regular process. Then, demand your election officials do it!
Note:
Also see in this blog -
Three Reasons to Support Internet Voting
Note:
Also see in this blog -
Three Reasons to Support Internet Voting
******************************
William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.
Political Scientist, author, speaker,
CEO for The Internet Voting Research and Education Fund
Political Scientist, author, speaker,
CEO for The Internet Voting Research and Education Fund
Email: Internetvoting@gmail.com
Twitter:
wjkno1
Author of Internet
Voting Now!
Kindle edition: http://tinyurl.com/IntV-Now
In paper: http://tinyurl.com/IVNow2011
