No need for Pencils in the Voting Booths…A Stylus will do just fine thank you

By: Chloe Haldane, Editor

In recent news and through the media, we have heard about a technological voting advancement used in the 2004 Bush versus Kerry presidential election. Although electronic voting machines were thought to have a possibility of being insecure, this assumption is completely inaccurate and is nothing more than technological hysteria. These advanced devices are actually much more beneficial to society than any other system we see today and electronic voting machines have been used successfully in several countries including the United Kingdom, India and Australia. They are faster than paper and pencil, punch card and lever voting systems normally used in elections and, in addition, they eliminate all of the problems that occur when using other devices to vote. Electronic voting machines are secure and improve voting experiences in substantial ways and they are the way of the future.

Electronic voting is extremely fast and easy compared to other methods of voting and it eradicates all problems that occur with other systems. Normally, when you vote using paper and pencil, punch card and lever devices, you have to show the security guard, or polling representative your I.D before receiving a ballot. Then, when you finally get to the actual voting station, you have to read and try to follow the difficult instructions; a long and often onerous process. This results in hours upon hours of line ups which can be extremely irritating and can be so tiresome that voters will choose not to turn out to exercise their vote. When using electronic voting however, it is extremely fast because you simply use a touch screen to select the candidate and follow the simple directions that appear on the screen. There is hardly any waiting because it’s much faster and there’s also no confusion unlike with other devices. Line ups are minimized and voting experiences are improved and are less stressful.

In addition to these advantages, electronic voting is less confusing than other systems. Electronic voting machines have clear directions that are easy to follow. You get your identification verified and then you receive a card which you then put in the machine and you begin voting. When we use other systems such as punch card and lever, they are confusing because you have to make sure to line everything up with your ballot as if you don’t, your ballot could be ruined. The paper and pencil system that we use in Canada also has problems. For example, in the 2003 election in Quebec, several votes were not counted because "the X didn’t cover the whole circle" and several people put a check mark instead of an "X". With electronic voting, you simply select the candidate with the touch screen and you’re done; fast and simple, no error.

When actually counting the votes, electronic voting is also much faster than other methods. Usually, when all ballots are in, people have to manually count every single vote. When ballots range in the tens of millions, this is extremely time consuming and increases the possibility of human error. Electronic voting machines count every vote automatically and totals are updated in real time. To prove that electronic voting is faster than any other system, in the most recent election, of all the states, Ohio, a state which used the most punch card systems and the least electronic voting machines, completed their ballot tallying last. Although speed may seem unimportant, fast results allow whoever wins the election to deal with issues and problems affecting the region that much quicker. Electronic voting machines are a worthwhile investment; they end stress that arises with other systems and allow overall results to be computed accurately and quickly.

In addition to being quick and simple and efficient, electronic voting machines also encourage voting by new citizens (immigrants) and people who are visually impaired. Electronic voting machines are much more advanced than other devices and on every machine you can choose your language preference so that directions and candidate’s names appear in the language of your choice. For landed immigrants and citizens who do not speak English but want to vote, electronic voting gives them the chance to vote and enables them to exercise their democratic right. Other systems that don’t come in different languages, deny them this citizenship privilege. Also, for the visually impaired, electronic systems have headsets that pass on audio information so that they can vote more easily and accurately. With all of these upgrades, electronic voting encourages voting of all citizens.

With electronic voting, it will improve the number of actual voters, as immigrants and those voters with limitations will be able to vote and the results of the election will ultimately show the ‘true’ picture of more of the population than with paper and pencil, punch card, or lever methods. Electronic voting, with the opportunities it gives to its citizens is therefore an excellent choice.

Electronic voting is an excellent choice for this day and age and should be used even more widely around the world. It’s beneficial to society and encourages voting that is quick and that eliminates all problems that occur when using other methods. Only by adapting this technological advancement can we have a fast election which allows everyone to vote truly and accurately and that allows all voters to see who wins the election at the earliest possible time.