| | |  Editorials | Opinions 
Internet Voting, Still in Beta
 Guillermo Ramon Adames Suari - PVNN
February 02, 2010
 |  | Go explain to the ordinary citizen that there are less technical advanced countries that have mastered all those "electronic needs" but in this part of the world "we are still in Beta". |  | | |
This was the Editorial of The New York Times on January 28, 2010 on page A32.
It is impossible to avoid a strong reaction to statements like the one published by The New York Times. Go explain to the average citizen that the government can collect your tax payments via secure electronic connections. But when it comes to dismiss a government official the electronic procedure is "still in Beta".
Even further: explain to the ordinary citizen that when it comes to collect any kind of payment any "cell phone pay" is a valid way of doing it. Cell phone monetary transactions have an additional security that goes beyond internet electronic operations. Go explain to the average citizen that less technically advanced countries like Venezuela and Brazil (since 2002) have all their voting and referendum systems all electronically set and that the political course of those countries can be modified electronically but in other countries including the US "we are still in Beta".
Go explain to the ordinary citizen that the US (despite political differences with Venezuela) has copied some of the "electronic voting technology" from that country and that we are "still in Beta".
Go explain to the ordinary citizen that e-mail can be intercepted for electronic voting but when it comes to payments, those are secured by "military type" security level. Just like the transactions that generated the economical crisis that we are currently living worldwide were completed. Those transactions were OK but modifying the course of the country it is not OK: it is "still in Beta".
Go explain to the ordinary citizen that there are less technical advanced countries that have mastered all those "electronic needs" but in this part of the world "we are still in Beta". What about Brazil, Venezuela, Finland, Estonia and France? These countries have their voting systems fully electronic and we are "still in Beta".
Or what: "those foreign systems do not work"? Have you read any complaints from those nations: their systems are "safe" there but they are not "safe" here?
Do you want to know the truth? What politicians are scared of is that citizens actually could take over and that they (politicians) loose grip and power. As simple as that. If a type of referendum (there are various types of referendums) or other type of valid massive citizen type vote would come out and dismiss this or that type of government's decision, a democratic government (whichever type in any country) would not have the alternative but to accept it and apply it. This is the other side of democracy that Congressmen and Governors (among others) are not willing to authorize. That is the real truth.
Sooner or later the (electronic) step forward will be given. In many countries it is difficult to accept that electing congressmen with all the expenses and corresponding festivities after appointments could be dismissed from one day to the next. A massive negative reaction from the population could destroy their career for good. That's what politicians are really scared of. There are many "reasons" why we should "still be in Beta". Let's illustrate this with a very simplistic example: Just imagine that a political party organizes a referendum in State "X" as a given congressman has implemented a bad decision with respect to the state's environmental policy. (Now that environment is in fashion).
This situation would not give the congressman in question the possibility to do anything and a negative reaction would ban the congressman for life. Surely the example is simplistic but it illustrates that average citizens are relatively aware of the implications of electronic voting and politicians are "more" aware than the average citizens. That is really why political systems and lobbies ban the electronic system. Current systems give a margin of action to politicians. Electronic results do not.
Guillermo Ramσn Adames y Suari is a former electoral officer of the United Nations Organization. Contact him at gui.voting(at)gmail.com |
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