Can the Web Revive Elections?
October 16th, 2006 Posted in Main Page
According to a new survey, 69% of people who plan to vote in next month's municipal election in Toronto would prefer to vote online if it was available, while 82% of people not planning on voting could change their mind if they could vote online. Given voter turnout was only 38% in Toronto and 32% in the Greater Toronto Area in 2003, anything to get more people involved in the demographic process has can only be a good thing. In particular, it might encourage younger people, who feel disengaged with politics or, worse, uninterested in politics. The survey raises two intriguing and complex questions: will online voting really bring out the vote by making it easier/more convenient than trudging out to the polling booth - usuallyafter work when you've got kids to feed, hockey to play, television to watch, drinks to drink, etc. Second, why is there such apathy about voting, particularly at the municipal level where elected representatives live in your neighbourhood? (See this Toronto Star story for one take on the apathy issue) Maybe the Web will become a tool to spark interest in politics and voting through sites such as MySpace, YouTube and blogs. MySpace, for example, just launched a Web site where people can register to vote in the U.S. (of course, you have to be a U.S. citizen). Then again, maybe people lost their faith in politics because no one really seems honest and/or real. Maybe what we need is more politicians such as Tom Dobbs in Man of the Year.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Voting via the Internet could get more people 'out' to vote. However, there a few problems with this scenario that need to be addressed first - apathy and security. It is no coicidence that the twain are connected!
When you vote for the Liberal party mostly because their platform revolves around eliminating the GST and then they don't do it, that damages credibility for Liberal politicians. When you vote for the Reform party because Preston Manning seems genuine in turning down the perks of office, but then moves into the Official Opposition Residence, your faith in Conservatives is damaged. When you would like to vote NDP, but then find out that Jack Layton and his wife lived in subsidized housing while having 2 Toronto Councillor incomes in the household - you have to question their sincerity. When these things keep happening on a daily basis - well, why vote?
So you are wondering how this is connected to security issues around internet voting? Here's how - when it seems like every politician is capable of corrupt, or at least unethical behaviour, how do we know they won't manipulate such a dynamic and easy to manipulate medium such as the web or electronic voting machines? Or how about Tom Wappel's wonderful line, “How is it that you are writing me for my help if you did not think enough of my abilities to justify voting for me?”Robert Fife and Joseph Brean, “Chretien tells MP to help veteran following snub”, National Post, 10 May 2001, A06. How did Wappel know if this fellow voted for him or not? If I recall correctly, that question was never answered. Wouldn't putting voting online, make it even easier to make the ballot not-so-secret? Call me paranoid - because I am.
October 17th, 2006 at 5:37 am
Maybe as interesting is the day when we can put together our own profiles of politicians drawing data, pictures and the rest from around the web to make political channels where we co-define the positions we believe they really take, the policies they really support. Web based apps that let us do this, and let us be more instrumental in teh ddebate, will I think be part of what IPTV offers in the near future and ought to erode political party power over candidature, profile and success.
October 17th, 2006 at 8:59 am
If I had to guess why voters are so apathetic about municipal elections, I'd guess that it is in fact because the representatives are local. It's a lot easier to sway/threaten/bribe/egg the city councillor who lives in your neighbourhood than it is the MP who disappears to Ottawa for years at a time to “represent” your interests. Perhaps who is elected isn't as important to voters as where they live.
If that's the case, then moving elections online isn't going to make much of a difference, despite what people say when polled about it.