How Secure is E-Voting?
Electronic voting or e-voting uses an electronic interface to collect and tabulate votes. Since the introduction of e-voting, debate has raged over the security of the technologies used, out of concern that some voters may be disenfranchised due to electronic errors. The security of e-voting ultimately depends on a number of factors, and verification is made difficult by manufacturers who want to maintain proprietary secrets like the software that they use. In any election, election officials want to collect accurate results as rapidly as possible and tabulate them with minimal error. Inevitably, some amount of error will creep into any voting system, whether it’s a sophisticated touchscreen machine or a basket which voters fill with rocks to support a candidate. The goal is to ensure that as many voters as possible are represented in final election counts. Since people expect election results as soon as possible, officials must also work quickly.
