[LINK] Fwd: vip-l: E-vote a virtual cinch to take off

Jan Whitaker jwhit at melbpc.org.au
Sun Nov 19 12:11:59 AEDT 2006


A Canadian experience

>E-vote a virtual cinch to take off
>
>Richard Brennan
>The Toronto Star, Nov. 16, 2006
>
>Markham residents as far away as Europe voted in the municipal election with
>the click of a computer mouse.
>
>They were among the growing number of citizens of Markham, the only GTA
>municipality to offer online voting, to cast electronic ballots in the
>advance polls.
>
>"You can do it from your home or if you are on vacation. We had people vote
>from Europe, Mexico, Florida," Markham town clerk Sheila Birrell told the
>Toronto Star.
>
>Online voting this time around jumped by 48 per cent to 10,639 from 7,210 in
>the last municipal election held in 2003.
>
>Of the 25 municipalities that offer citizens the opportunity to vote using
>alternative methods like the Internet, Markham is the largest municipality
>providing a true online voting system.
>
>Birrell explained that the easy-to-vote system is offered only for advance
>ballots because "the cost for a one-day event would be prohibitive."
>
>In Markham, voters must register their plans to vote online and only then do
>they get their secret PIN (personal identification) number.
>
>Supporters credited the online voting in part for the increased number of
>voters.
>
>According to the Markham election results, 58,309 votes were cast - a 38 per
>cent increase over the 42,198 ballots cast three years ago, for a 26.5 per
>cent turnout. Online voting's share of the overall vote total rose slightly
>to 18.25 per cent from 17 per cent in 2003.
>
>"It was very convenient but I don't think it increased voter turnout (to any
>degree)," Birrell said.
>
>Adam Froman, president of Delvinia Interactive, which was hired to market
>online voting in Markham, said it could be one of the cures for low voter
>turnout.
>
>"Online voting is a clear solution to problems of voter apathy and low
>turnout," Froman said. "E-democracy is a winning alternative to build
>participation in the electoral process - especially among youth."
>
>However, Froman acknowledged there is still reticence by many to trust their
>vote to the Internet.
>
>"It's like online banking in the early days. There is the fear and the
>perception of security ... and I think that's the case here,"
>
>Birrell said currently the technology is not reliable enough to count on
>online voting to replace the traditional method of casting a ballot.
>
>"Technology-wise, we are not ready for it ... (but) the way technology
>changes, who knows what we will be doing in four years," she said.
>
>Froman said his company sponsored a survey this fall of 1,000 people living
>in the GTA, which showed that 79 per cent of voters would prefer online
>voting, with 83 per cent of younger participants favouring the online vote.
>
>Markham's outgoing mayor Don Cousens, who did not seek re-election for
>health reasons, said online voting is "absolutely" the wave of the future.
>
>"It is so easy to do. Even I voted that way," said the 68-year-old Cousens.

Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
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'Seed planting is often the most important step. Without the seed, 
there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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