2. Wayne Schepens on Voting Over the
Internet
For many, voting over the Internet may seem like a logical
progression. After all, individuals use the Internet to
attend classes, invest, shop, and perform research. But an
important distinction between these personal endeavors and
voting exists. Professionals continually strive to enhance
the security of the Internet, but virtually all transactions
carry a degree of risk. Individuals accept this risk when
they make a purchase or sell stocks online, and any adverse
effects that result from the action primarily affect the
individual involved. Voting, on the other hand, affects all
those in the jurisdiction of the vote. In other words, a
national online vote would pose a threat to all those living
in the United States. However, if we could potentially
guarantee the security of the vote, online voting could
encourage greater participation, especially among younger
generations. Would the rest of the public also accept this
concept? How efficient and convenient can we make the vote
while safeguarding the information transmitted?
3. Wayne Schepens on Voting Over the
Internet
Today, creating an impenetrable information technology system
would prove all but impossible and certainly not economically
advantageous. Unfortunately, companies and government
agencies must engage in risk management and ensure that those
involved understand the risks. In order to implement an
online voting system, various governments would require the
permission of all those under their jurisdiction. This
requirement makes it extremely difficult to create such a
system. In fact, I first began research on such a system more
than a decade ago, yet voting remains largely on paper and in
person. The Internet, however, still remains a valuable tool
for the future of voting, especially for absentee voters and
others not able to physically make it to the polls.
4. Wayne Schepens on Voting Over the
Internet
About the Author
Wayne Schepens holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering from the State University of New York Maritime
College and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
With more than 15 years of professional experience, he
focuses on strategic planning, project management, and
information systems architecture development. After a
significant tenure at the National Security Agency, Wayne
Schepens now consults through his proprietary firm
WayneWright Strategy, LLC.
