CSC 379:Week 5, Group 4
Paperless Electronic Voting
Examine the ethical issues regarding paperless electronic voting (e.g. voting machines with no voter-approved persistent paper record of the electronic ballots cast). Include a brief overview of what paperless electronic voting is and instances where it has been used. Draw from a variety of internet resources to explain its advantages and disadvantages (including obstacles to adoption of equipment that maintain a paper record). Is there an ethical responsibility to create and maintain a persistent paper record of votes, if so, whose?
The discussion questions listed at the bottom of the weekly assignments page should be answered through the content you provide on this wiki page.
What is Paperless Electronic Voting
- Paperless Electronic Voting is a completely computerized voting system. A voter places their vote by touchscreen, keyboard or some other electronic means. No paper records of the electronic ballot are kept and there is no way for the voter to verify/check their vote.
- Paperless Electronic Voting has been used in the following states/elections
Ethical Issues
Without any kind of a paper trail it would be impossible to validate people votes. This brings about many ethical issues...
- Voters could accidentally vote for the wrong person without knowing it.
- Voters may not have the ability to change their vote if they accidentally vote for the wrong canidate.
- Programmers could write faulty code, causing inacurate ballots without anyone even knowing. This is especially risky if software testing is not implemented fully.
- Programmers could intentionally write malicious code which automatically votes for a specific canidate regardless of who the voter actually votes for.
Relevant External Links
- It's Time to Outlaw Paperless Electronic Voting in the U.S.
- Federal report says paperless electronic voting machines cannot be made secure
- Florida lawsuit targets electronic voting machines in close race
- Security Of Electronic Voting Is Condemned
- New York Times - Scientists’ Tests Hack Into Electronic Voting Machines in California and Elsewhere
- Congresspedia - Help America Vote Act