Time for more Voting Options
With low voter turn out plauging every election, I think it's time for the
government to take a closer look at other options. Educating voters, and giving people
free rides to the polls, has just about played out.
We conduct business on the internet, personal banking and all sorts of other secure
transactions. We conduct business over the phone and at an ATM machine. We have managed to
secure things enough for these transactions then why not look into "Elections".
It's an idea who's time has come.
Businesses use Extranet Clients similar to software used by Nortel Networks, that create a secure tunnel for businesses to operate in. Why can't the same thing be done for Elections? Naturally you have those who do not have computers and the polls will need to stay open for those. You now have a large cross-section of society that are on the internet, and the numbers are growing and things are generally more secure than in the past.
I think it could work like this:
Well in advance of an election you sign up for "alternative voting options". You
provide your Full Name, Date of Birth, Mothers Maiden Name, and Social Security Number and
Drivers License Number. Then your assigned a pin number by the registering authority. Even
those voting by other means would need a pin number. Then you must install secure voting
software that runs through a secure tunnel on the internet, much like business uses.
On Election Day you could log in, through 3 stages of security using the secure
software. Enter your Pin Number and cast your vote. The on-line votes would occur over a
certain period to compensate for network slow downs or downtime of the network. At the
polls those who go in to vote would provide their pin number, the poll workers would enter
your pin number into a database. If your pin number shows that you have already voted then
your not allowed to vote or just for fun they would arrest you for voter fraud. As a trial
run it could be used for absentee voters first then rolled out to the general population.
I think it is time for a change in the current method and with past controversy of elections, I don't think punch cards and other methods are any more reliable.
I also think that the option of "none of the above" or "no vote" should also be provided for those of us who do not wish to settle for "the lesser of 2 evils". This is as much a wasted vote as those who do not show up at the poles because they do not like a particular candidate. There are people who do not show up at the poles because the single most important race to them does not have a candidate they do not like. All of the other races, suffer from their absence. A vote of "no vote" would provide some level of comfort to those voters.
I mean...what could it hurt? Do you think we would accidently elect some corrupt politician to office? I don't think Louisiana voters would ever do that!!!!