When are we going to be able to vote online?

pjamdragonpjamdragon Posts: 20
edited January 2008 in A Moving Train
Anyone else feel like this is possible? Sure, we need to protect the integrity of the voting process but hasn't that integrity already been compromised? Not everyone has a computer so voting sites could still be set up. Thoughts?
Post edited by Unknown User on

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  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    Anyone else feel like this is possible? Sure, we need to protect the integrity of the voting process but hasn't that integrity already been compromised? Not everyone has a computer so voting sites could still be set up. Thoughts?

    Why would you need to, every place I have ever lived if you can't make it to the polls you can request a mail in ballot. Then again, I have never had to pull a lever to vote either.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Why would you need to, every place I have ever lived if you can't make it to the polls you can request a mail in ballot.

    of course we dont need to but people are lazy. and yes, I see online voting possible in the future. someone will come up with a way to make it as legit as possible, but who knows. with the amount of technical possibilities out there, this seems rather simple.
  • if you know who you want to vote for (after digging beyond what "they" tell you), why should it take anymore than 2 minutes?

    "they" could be the media, the candidates themselves, or the voices in your head
  • I would surely hope to never EVER see online voting. Why you may ask? Well many reasons which include the following:

    *Note: I am a web applications programmer.

    1. Fraud would be as easy as cake.
    2. The development group managing the online voting would most likely be easily influenced by political parties for fraudulent voting.
    3. Software is never EVER perfect, look at the Diebold systems!
    4. Imagine while in the middle of your voting process you lose connection to the internet and make the post for you vote, .. is it possible it never went through? Absolutely! At that point the data could consider you already voted, but your voting information is not processed.
    5. Every hacker in the nation would probably be attempting to hack the system.
    6. .. numerous other ideas.

    I suggest that we go back to paper ballots and possibly an online system for validating your vote, however that is it!If it were to ever be considered I'd hope there were multiple checks and balances made to validate each vote was counted correctly and securely.

    My 2 cents,

    =)
    April 28, 2003
    May 3, 2003
    Camden NJ Sat May 27, 2006
    Camden NJ Sun May 28, 2006
    Washington DC Tuesday May 30, 2006
    E. Rutherford NJ June 01, 2006
    E. Rutherford NJ June 03, 2006
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    I would surely hope to never EVER see online voting. Why you may ask? Well many reasons which include the following:

    *Note: I am a web applications programmer.

    1. Fraud would be as easy as cake.
    2. The development group managing the online voting would most likely be easily influenced by political parties for fraudulent voting.
    3. Software is never EVER perfect, look at the Diebold systems!
    4. Imagine while in the middle of your voting process you lose connection to the internet and make the post for you vote, .. is it possible it never went through? Absolutely! At that point the data could consider you already voted, but your voting information is not processed.
    5. Every hacker in the nation would probably be attempting to hack the system.
    6. .. numerous other ideas.

    I suggest that we go back to paper ballots and possibly an online system for validating your vote, however that is it!If it were to ever be considered I'd hope there were multiple checks and balances made to validate each vote was counted correctly and securely.

    My 2 cents,

    =)


    all very good points. some things are just better done the "old fashion way"
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    i hope i never see it
  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    I'd rather TEXT my vote, because at that point it will be meaningless anyway.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • puremagic wrote:
    I'd rather TEXT my vote, because at that point it will be meaningless anyway.

    powerful words you speak!
    April 28, 2003
    May 3, 2003
    Camden NJ Sat May 27, 2006
    Camden NJ Sun May 28, 2006
    Washington DC Tuesday May 30, 2006
    E. Rutherford NJ June 01, 2006
    E. Rutherford NJ June 03, 2006
  • DPrival78DPrival78 CT Posts: 2,263
    well the system as-is is as corrupt as all hell anyway, so sure.. why not?

    people can lay on their beds, click their mouse during the commercials of american idol, and wait for the tv to tell them who the next president will be.

    let's do it.
    i'm more a fan of popular bands.. like the bee-gees, pearl jam
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    In the year 2525....maybe.
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • Two words....mass hackage...

    every router hop between your PC and the vote server would have to be secured by an official person and watched...omg...what a nightmare...

    1000x worse than Diebold on crack...
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

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  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    I think online voting would get more people voting-more people voting=danger to democracy=will never happen.
  • cornnifercornnifer Posts: 2,130
    Anyone else feel like this is possible? Sure, we need to protect the integrity of the voting process but hasn't that integrity already been compromised? Not everyone has a computer so voting sites could still be set up. Thoughts?

    Horrible idea. There is enough fraud as there is.
    "When all your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse... better find yourself a place to level out."
  • PegasusPegasus Posts: 3,754
    I've already done so!

    ok, I'm not in the US..

    I'm not sure what you need in the US to be able to vote.

    In the UK, where I live..you just show up at the polling station and say you name..that's IT!
    as there's no obligation to have a government issued ID at any time, they can't ask for one for voting, many people don't have one.
    makes me laugh because it's SOOO easy to fraud..only in England could it not turn into a complete shamble! (there's some fraud cases..but nothing on a scale you'd get in any more southern countries!)

    In France, where I'm from, you have to carry an ID at all time, and you have to show one at the polling station. No photo ID (ID card or passport..not even sure a driving licence works..), no vote (beside having to be on the roll anyway)

    now, I think it was senatorial elections, must have been because there's no foreign residents representative at the parliament, but there's at the senate house.
    anyway, when that overseas representative was due to be elected, you had the option to register for online voting.
    the process was convoluted, had to register online, then received some codes through the mail, then registered through those codes in another website, i think got ANOTHER code and finally a 2-week window to put your vote though.

    to be honest, it was probably more hassle for me than it was worth because I live only 15mn cycle from the French London consulate where I could vote in person..though only on 1 given day, always a Sunday ..

    now that online voting did not apply a year later for the presidential elections..had to go and queue at the Consulate polling station (yes, there was a queue..about 1-1.5 hour at the time I got there)

    I guess they only used it because it was an expats election...with 1 or a handful only of polling stations in a given country, spread out (so people may have to travel even 100s of miles), it makes sense to vote online.
    France doesn't allow postal voting btw, and proxy one is only allowed if you have a) a valid reason, b) a proxy voting in the same polling station...I don't know a single French person in England..

    My opinion for the US:
    considering the distance you guys have in parts of the country, the fact your election days are working days, and for presidential ones at least, in some areas, are in a winter weather where frankly I would not set foot outside!
    it makes sense.
    Postal voting is far more insecure..with online voting, you can keep a trace..your postal vote can simply get lost/damaged..
    actually, might be more secure than at your polling stations, because it may be done that YOU can keep a proof of your voting..where at the polling station, there's nothing you can do to prove what you voted..
  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    Pegasus wrote:

    My opinion for the US:
    considering the distance you guys have in parts of the country, the fact your election days are working days, and for presidential ones at least, in some areas, are in a winter weather where frankly I would not set foot outside!
    it makes sense.
    Postal voting is far more insecure..with online voting, you can keep a trace..your postal vote can simply get lost/damaged..
    actually, might be more secure than at your polling stations, because it may be done that YOU can keep a proof of your voting..where at the polling station, there's nothing you can do to prove what you voted..


    Accurate summary and very intentional on the part of the authorities.
  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    Jesus. Not a day goes by in this country that somebody doesn't have their identity stolen by computer hackers.

    And you want to open the electoral process open to this?

    Bad idea. Bad, bad idea.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • The bigger issue (not hacking) is WHO OWNS THE INTERNET?

    If you really want your votes to be filtered by your ISP then by all means put the vote online.

    But if you think corporations of questionable character and MASS MEDIA CONTROL ... Timewarner, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T ... they all own a massive share of the cable\dsl market ... and your vote goes straight through them ...

    These are the same people that give you the skewed polls, the fake news, distorts your reality daily with BS programing, and generaly suppress the truth to keep you content or at least too ignorant to really know what is going on and get mad about it ...

    :(
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    The bigger issue (not hacking) is WHO OWNS THE INTERNET?

    If you really want your votes to be filtered by your ISP then by all means put the vote online.

    But if you think corporations of questionable character and MASS MEDIA CONTROL ... Timewarner, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T ... they all own a massive share of the cable\dsl market ... and your vote goes straight through them ...

    These are the same people that give you the skewed polls, the fake news, distorts your reality daily with BS programing, and generaly suppress the truth to keep you content or at least too ignorant to really know what is going on and get mad about it ...

    :(

    Though not the avowed conspiracy theorist that you are, I agree with your point. why even open things up to questions of impropriety? Especially when everyone seems to think the fuckin' thing is rigged every four years anyway.

    To me, I think it would present another opportunity for the loser to cry "foul" every election, and drag the whole thing through the courts.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • CommyCommy Posts: 4,984
    Though not the avowed conspiracy theorist that you are, I agree with your point. why even open things up to questions of impropriety? Especially when everyone seems to think the fuckin' thing is rigged every four years anyway.

    To me, I think it would present another opportunity for the loser to cry "foul" every election, and drag the whole thing through the courts.
    If we domocratize the voting process, as opposed to using private companies like diebold and other shady companies with agendas, internet voting could change politcs completely. We wouldn't have to have a representative democracy, we could eliminate congress and the senate. The people, given enough free time (20 hour work weeks, very doable with this economic structure) and the right information, could be running this country. It could be a true democarcy, we have the technolgy. Its all in how we decide to use it and who we let control it.

    edit :honestly its about as bad as it can get right now. THey pick our candidates anyway. Fuck it, let them pick the president and we can vote on all the issues. A true democaracy.
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