When Will We be Able to Vote in an Election Online?

Many countries, such as Canada, Estonia, Finland, and Australia, among others, use elements of online voting. So why is the United States behind on this task? Some Americans are currently able to vote online, such as those in the military or absentee voters from Alaska. Unfortunately, there are still many challenges to nationwide online voting in the US — but there are a lot of positive reasons to implement online voting nationwide, too.

Benefits to Online Voting

There are many reasons online voting is appealing. Considering the number of smartphone and Internet users, online voting could dramatically increase voter turnout. It would offer a convenient way for citizens to vote in an election; one that wouldn’t require them to take time off of work, wait in obscenely long lines, cast absentee ballots, or even figure out how to get to their polling place. It would be a more convenient option for elderly or disabled voters. It could also increase voter turnout among younger voters.

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But that’s all in theory. What seems likelier with online voting is that we’d still have to go to a public place (although, not one determined by our address) to cast our vote online. If that were the case, it likely wouldn’t increase voter turnout, because for many citizens, voting would still be a hassle. If online public voting were combined with an election day holiday, that would be likely to increase turnout.

In addition, online voting could provide near-instant election results. This would be a major benefit, considering that the US is still counting ballots from the 2016 presidential election. This could, potentially, make election night less stressful for citizens.

Online Voting Challenges

However, with the lack of cybersecurity awareness in the US, combined with a national fear of cyber attacks and malware, it would be difficult to implement a nationwide online voting system that citizens would find trustworthy. There would probably be greater fear, too, of hackers, countries, or public officials tampering with election results.

Security is a big concern, after all, and the main reason that the US isn’t seriously pursuing an online voting system. There are a lot of different ways that a hacker could interfere with a private Internet server, including through apps on your phone or other smart devices connected to your Internet.

Another concern is identity: voting is supposed to be anonymous. But, on a private Internet server, it is very unlikely that a vote would remain anonymous. If Facebook and Google can find out everything about you by tracking your online habits, then how could an online voting system remain secure and anonymous? Those are exactly the concerns for the select few Americans who can vote online.