Online voting has, in one form or another, been with us for a couple of decades. From simple online polls and voting for your favorite reality TV star, all the way to voting in elections for government offices and company board rooms, online voting has seen tremendous development which has now made it the quickest, by far the most convenient, and arguably the safest way of casting votes and making decisions.
In this article, we will have a look at some specific aspects of online voting systems and the way they help ensure that any online election is quick, efficient, safe, and reliable.
Voter Registration Systems
Voter registration systems have seen major progress in recent years. Voters can register or update their information through safe and secure web platforms. These platforms can be and are often automatically integrated with government databases from sources like the DMV or tax office, to flag and correct any discrepancies, minimizing vote duplication and any other types of voting fraud.
Before, registration had to be done in person or by mail, which was slow, and any spelling or typing errors could result in potential issues on the actual day of the voting.
Identity Verification and Authentication
Online voting systems take identity verification and authentication to the next level. While identification documents can be faked, AI and facial recognition software have developed to the level where it is extremely difficult to trick them.
Digital ID integration(integrated with the national database) combined with biometrics, facial recognition, and passwords authentication(multi-factor authentication(MFA) makes for a never before seen level of security that doesn’t affect the speed nor convenience of the online voting process, and with the cybersecurity progress continuing rapidly, the security of online voting systems can only improve.
Election Logistics and Management
The old paper-ballot system required a lot of time, manpower, and storage space, and was prone to human error or manipulation, as everything from vote counting to polling station oversight and security was done manually.
In the online voting system, everything is quicker and done with a laptop, tablet, or even just a cell phone. From recruiting, training, and communicating with poll/election workers, to result counting and reporting, and even helpdesk systems, everything is done online, in a safer, less-error prone way, making online voting often the cheapest option as it cuts down on costs like ballots, transportation, and security staffing.
Accessibility Enhancements
Online voting systems allow for unprecedented accessibility. This one is a bit of a no-brainer, as you only need a compatible electronic device and Internet connection and you can vote from anywhere. No sitting in traffic, or waiting in queues, which has to be a positive for everyone.
Additionally, online voting systems have integrated options like screen reader compatible voting interfaces that enable voting for visually impaired, or devices with touch-free options like sip-puff for those with mobility impairments.
The font style, size, and color can be adjusted, and there are dozens of different languages to choose from, with their number increasing almost daily, so most people should be able to use these systems.
This, never before seen, level of accessibility and convenience often results in record voter turnouts, as the process is so seamless and fast that there’s almost no excuse for not participating.
Ballot Security & Vote Integrity
Some people still hold certain reservations regarding ballot security and vote integrity when it comes to online voting systems, but the advancements in that field have been nothing short but monumental and it’s now very difficult to manipulate an online vote.
End-to-end(E2) encryption ensures the integrity of the vote, as no tampering is possible, while homomorphic encryption allows for these votes to still be counted whilst encrypted, which guarantees privacy.
Digital signatures and voter-verifiable receipts add another layer of security which results in increased trust amongst the voters. Voter-verifiable receipts are especially beneficial in terms of trust, as each voter can check and make sure that their vote was correctly counted.
Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Cybersecurity infrastructure of online voting systems can be described as robust and ever-developing. These systems are hosted on decentralized servers and using CDNs or scrubbing services to resist attack, while secure coding standards are used to prevent cross-site scripting, SQL-injection, and similar issues.
Blockchain-based voting ledgers and zero-knowledge proofs(ZKPs) add another layer of security.
Online voting systems have, perhaps unsurprisingly, seen enormous progress in the past decade. These systems have the potential to lower the cost, both in time and in money, of any voting process, whether an HOA election, voting on a company policy, or election for a government position.
The convenience of voting from the privacy of your home, just using an electronic device, coupled with all the options for different languages and disabilities can only result in higher voter turnout, especially when coupled with biometric verification, and end-to-end encryption which ensure security of the election, as well as increase the trust amongst the voters.
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