Summary

Frank Corte's bill, and Leticia Van de Putte's companion SB90 would establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of e-mail to provide overseas voters in the military the ability to vote by e-mail in 2008.

Background

HB 17/SB 90 have the laudable intent of increasing voter participation by members of the military stationed overseas, but does so through the creating of an e-mail balloting option. In the event an election official receives both a paper and e-mail ballot, the official is required to count only the email ballot.

There is a valid concern that overseas voters, especially those in the military have a very small window of opportunity to request an early ballot in time to vote and return their ballots to the proper jurisdictions before election day. However, The military recognizes that email ballots cannot be secured. The military has allowed its members to vote by email in jurisdictions that allow it, but directs them to use paper ballots instead. According to the American Forces Information Service of the Department of Defense, the military would prefer that overseas service members mail their absentee ballots in to local election officials. The second preference behind mailing paper ballots is to fax them (paper ballots) directly to local officials. Troops who elect to send their votes in electronically will have to sign a waiver acknowledging that the secrecy of their ballot cannot be guaranteed. That's why, according to the military, paper ballots remain "the most secure, the most traditional means of getting their vote in (and) getting it counted."
Source: United States Department of Defense

A secret ballot is essential in a democracy
No one should ever be asked to waive the fundamental right to a secret ballot, especially our military members. Their rights are just as sacred as the rest of Americans. Voting without secrecy, makes their votes unequal to the protections offered to the rest of Americans.

A secret ballot is an essential protection against manipulation or intimidation of a voter to vote a certain way. Proof of how one voted could be used to used to force someone to vote against their intent. And failure to vote a certain way could also cause retaliation.

The security problems that would need to be addressed to implement Internet voting with any assurance of protection for a voter’s privacy may currently be insurmountable. New security risks on the Internet evolve every day. Malicious worms and other viruses that are commonly found in e-mail attachments, could put our country clerks offices at risk in addition to the privacy risk to our military service members.

Additional Links

A Security Analysis of the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment SERVE

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Summary

Frank Corte's bill, and Leticia Van de Putte's companion SB90 would establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of e-mail to provide overseas voters in the military the ability to vote by e-mail in 2008.

Background

HB 17/SB 90 have the laudable intent of increasing voter participation by members of the military stationed overseas, but does so through the creating of an e-mail balloting option. In the event an election official receives both a paper and e-mail ballot, the official is required to count only the email ballot.

There is a valid concern that overseas voters, especially those in the military have a very small window of opportunity to request an early ballot in time to vote and return their ballots to the proper jurisdictions before election day. However, The military recognizes that email ballots cannot be secured. The military has allowed its members to vote by email in jurisdictions that allow it, but directs them to use paper ballots instead. According to the American Forces Information Service of the Department of Defense, the military would prefer that overseas service members mail their absentee ballots in to local election officials. The second preference behind mailing paper ballots is to fax them (paper ballots) directly to local officials. Troops who elect to send their votes in electronically will have to sign a waiver acknowledging that the secrecy of their ballot cannot be guaranteed. That's why, according to the military, paper ballots remain "the most secure, the most traditional means of getting their vote in (and) getting it counted."
Source: United States Department of Defense

A secret ballot is essential in a democracy
No one should ever be asked to waive the fundamental right to a secret ballot, especially our military members. Their rights are just as sacred as the rest of Americans. Voting without secrecy, makes their votes unequal to the protections offered to the rest of Americans.

A secret ballot is an essential protection against manipulation or intimidation of a voter to vote a certain way. Proof of how one voted could be used to used to force someone to vote against their intent. And failure to vote a certain way could also cause retaliation.

The security problems that would need to be addressed to implement Internet voting with any assurance of protection for a voter’s privacy may currently be insurmountable. New security risks on the Internet evolve every day. Malicious worms and other viruses that are commonly found in e-mail attachments, could put our country clerks offices at risk in addition to the privacy risk to our military service members.

Additional Links

A Security Analysis of the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment SERVE

Federal Voting Assistance Program