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.

Get rid of plug-ins
Plug-ins often leave trails of the sites you’ve used or purchases you’ve made. Specifically, they reveal your location and identity. If you want to browse anonymously, plug-ins should be some of the first things that go.

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Forgo paying online with credit cards
Credit cards used in online shopping give away your information right away. PayPal, too, keeps records of you that can be tracked by hackers. The only way to remain truly anonymous while buying online is with an e-currency like bitcoin or the like. Since bitcoin isn’t used very often, though, your best bet might be forgoing online shopping entirely.

Create “burner” accounts
Burner accounts are accounts that all have different passwords and passcodes. Rather than keeping a single password that can let a hacker who gets some of your information get all of it, you should change your password for each login you create. Further, you should make sure you’re changing your passwords often.

Browse the Internet anonymously
The best way to browse anonymously is by connecting to different wireless connections, rarely visiting the same connection twice. You can also download a proxy server that doesn’t reveal your real location or IP address. A good proxy server is called ProxyGambit, which scrambles your location and IP address so you’re not traceable.

Only use certain websites
Only use websites that start with HTTP or HTTPS. These websites are anonymous, but others without these letters show your identity and location. Further, you want to make sure you’re only browsing — and definitely only buying from — websites with identity certificates.
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