The articles I'll be referring to can be found here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-thomson/could-romney-linked-elect_b_2025490.html
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/08/tech/web/online-voting/index.html
These two articles cover the concept of electronic voting. One primarily focuses on electronic machines taking votes, where the voter must physically still cast their ballot. The second focuses on the novel idea of casting a ballot completely through the internet.
The reason I highlight these two articles is primarily because of Purdy's observations regarding what he calls "author-users." This is also connected to the advent of publics and the changes to the public sphere mentioned in posts prior.
Purdy's observations, while interesting, inadvertently expose the necessity for an infrastructure for author-users to utilize in their participation. This is distinctly lacking in the Presidential election. Indeed, it is hampered by its very nature.
The idea of the popular vote being equalized across the population requires the easiest method to cast a ballot. This way, the egalitarian nature of voting would be all-accessible. However, this accessibility also gives rise to corruption. The CNN article does well to point out that even those who have no desire to influence the election proper would see the e-ballot as an opportunity to prove one's worth as a hacker.
This is also connected to the aforementioned article that focuses on voter participation per state. As society becomes more inter-connected and plugged in, it seems inevitable that the government would follow suit. And though the possibility is there, the methodology still requires much more work.
Purdy's observations, while interesting, inadvertently expose the necessity for an infrastructure for author-users to utilize in their participation. This is distinctly lacking in the Presidential election. Indeed, it is hampered by its very nature.
The idea of the popular vote being equalized across the population requires the easiest method to cast a ballot. This way, the egalitarian nature of voting would be all-accessible. However, this accessibility also gives rise to corruption. The CNN article does well to point out that even those who have no desire to influence the election proper would see the e-ballot as an opportunity to prove one's worth as a hacker.
This is also connected to the aforementioned article that focuses on voter participation per state. As society becomes more inter-connected and plugged in, it seems inevitable that the government would follow suit. And though the possibility is there, the methodology still requires much more work.
No comments:
Post a Comment