[LINK] Fwd: vip-l: The Australian: E-Voting follow-up article

[Stephen Loosley]

Richard writes ..

>>
>>> Bluntly, e-voting was dreamed up by vendors to sell equipment.
>>
>> Perhaps, but then, public kiosks where one could vote in elections
>> appropriate for the area for a week would be useful.  Especially if
>> they also had a public-petition process. And, even more so if one's
>> vote could include voluntary bio-graphic, and opinion, survey data.
> ... As to this idea, you could also argue that overloaded ballots reduce 
> participation. Too many things to vote for  = a good reason not to bother. 
> Even throwing in a kiosk (does a kiosk make it quicker or more convenient 
> for the user? Some perhaps but not all, perhaps not many), do I want an 
> electoral system in which the campaigning comes "vote for proposition 
> 336", and the friends of Fielding campaigning tirelessly for Intelligent 
> Design in high school biology? Not really ...

Well projected, but, a well-done kiosk could be a many splendored thing.

Top-quality/private/large-screen/woodgrain booths in secure public places
with kindly people, like Howard, to aid with all democratic responsibilities
during election times. What a proud ornament for a digital-age-democracy.

Such a user-friendly place for wrinkly baby-boomers may well be a demand.

Also, in-your-face, where homeless teens might even vote if Howard smiled.

A place to safely, and actively, contribute the less-heard voices in 
democracy
in non-election times, in respectful parlimentary petitions, rather than 
grafitti.

> Nor does the expanded scope address my most pressing concerns of 
> transparency and process participation.

No .. not for me either, but I think something like the above may be 
inevitable.
(I even worry about those portable modem-linked credit-card machines ... who
cares about a $20 sale if you harvest enough data to empty the account) 
anway
I digress. Surely Howard's records, and dedicated AEC tunnels, would 
suffice?

> And finally, I would foresee very grave risks in any subsidiary 
> data-gathering being tacked onto the electoral process.

Maybe, it's simply just an idea  .. but, I'd like to send a message with my 
votes,
just like with the ABC votes yesterday, and obviously so do other link 
Aussies.

Cheers Richard
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia