Electronic Voting

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that voting fraud has always been a concern in U. S. elections. However, the writer points out that during the last few years, concerns over electronic voting and the possibility of fraud has sparked heated debates that continue today. The writer discusses the two different types of electronic voting systems, the optical scan system and the touch-screen system. The writer maintains that the success of the system of elections is based on three premises: the secrecy of the ballot, safeguards against fraud, and safeguards against voter intimidation. The writer concludes that, while criticism still echoes concerning electronic voting machines, butterfly ballots, chads and other twentieth century voting technology have all but disappeared.

From the Paper:

"Internet voting is the process by which a voter casts his/her ballot on a personal computer that then electronically sends the ballot to the election office. While this system has the greatest potential for making election more convenient and accessible, it also presents major concerns surrounding the verifiability and security given the overall vulnerability of the Internet environment. Most agree that Internet voting is far too risky for general implementation, however as advances in encryption and other security measures are made, Internet voting will likely become more prevalent. The Defense Department is leading the way in resolving Internet security measures with several experiments and pilot projects. For example, to improve voting opportunities of overseas military personnel, the Defense Department conduct an experiment called Voting Over the Internet Pilot Project during the election of 2000, and planned another called the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment during the 2004 election, however this project was cancelled before the 2004 election due to unresolved security issues."

Sample of Sources Used:

• About the EAC. United States Election Assistance Commission. Retrieved November 17 2006 from: http://www.eac.gov/mission_statement.asp?format=none
• Bradshaw, Sheldon. (2003 October 10). "WHETHER CERTAIN DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS COMPLY WITH THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT." MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION. Retrieved November 17 2006 from: http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/drevotingsystems.htm
• Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Voting Machines and HAVA Implementation. (2003 June 12). League of Women Voters of the United States. Retrieved November 17 2006 from: http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htElectronicVoting2004-LWVUSreport.htm
• Electronic Voting: Overview and Issues. (2005 November). Institute of Governmental Studies University of California. Retrieved November 17 2006 from: http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htElectronicVoting2004.html
• Gaines, Kristi. (2004 October 01). Voting technology and the law: from chads to fads and somewhere in between. Social Education. Retrieved November 17 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

More papers on Electronic Voting:

• Term Paper # 110974 : "Electronic Voting Machines"
• Research Paper # 57300 : "Electronic Voting"
• Essay # 115168 : "America's Voting System"

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