“The cyber,” as Donald J. Trump calls it, has been an unrelenting issue in a presidential election marked by politically motivated hacks, massive DDoS attacks, and email kerfuffles. With technology as a focal point, virtually every part of the political process has been brought into the scrum, including voting.
As we move forward, online voting seems shimmeringly imminent, particularly because virtually everything we do, we already do online. But voting is far different than banking, shopping, and communicating. It’s trickier and more complex. However precariously, voting in the United States is hoisted up as an essential part of the political system.
In theory, casting ballots gives ordinary citizens a means of control—change is always just one election away. It’s crucial for voters to believe that the mechanisms through which their views are delivered are legitimate, and if those mechanisms are tinkered with or updated, that trust should be preserved.
As it stands, there are legitimate concerns involved with current and near-future voting technology. There’s still a long way to go, and with something as vital as voting, there is an infinitely small margin for error. – READ MORE
