Essay - Electronic Voting Introduction After the Tension and Conflict of the...

Electronic Voting

Introduction

After the tension and conflict of the 2000 Presidential election in which numerous disputes over voting results, notably in florida, led to a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, propos*****ls that had been made before regarding the use of electronic voting as a w*****y to avoid such problems were given a new look. In ***** computer age, electronic ***** appeals ***** many on several grounds, including speed, accuracy ***** the count, convenience, and bringing more people into voting booth with this new technology. However, there have been just as many concerns raised ***** electronic voting only creates a new opportunity for fraud, difficulties in verifying voter eligibility, and the lack of a paper record by which to check in c*****e of complaints, problems, or charges after ***** vote. An examination ***** the issue suggests advantages and disadvantages both, meaning that the voters will have to sort ***** ***** out and decide if they want electronic *****, a decision th*****t may also become fodder ***** court action ***** those who disagree with the decision. The technology clearly exists ***** allow for electronic voting, and it has been implemented in some elections in *****dividual districts across the country. It has not been adopted widely enough to serve as the primary means of voting for a presidenti*****l election, at least not yet, but ***** suggest it should be. An examination of the issue shows the arguments on both sides and the types of problems that have to ***** solved.

***** Problems Now The ***** in 2000 ***** some of the central issues involved in ***** today, w*****h ***** ballots designed by different people ***** ***** parts of the country so that there is no uniformity in the way people vote. This is not surprising, though, given that elections are administered not by the federal government but by the individual states, as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. In Article I, Section 4, it is stated,

***** Times, Places ***** Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Leg*****lature *****of; ***** the Congress may at any time ***** Law make or alter ***** Regul*****ions, except as to the Places of choosing Senat*****s.

***** place ***** the election remains under the control of the state. As for the election of the President ***** Vice-*****, these are al***** state functions, as noted in Article *****I, Section 1:

Each State shall appoint, in such ***** as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the *****le Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entit***** in the *****: but no Senator or Representative, ***** Person ***** an Office of Trust or Profit ***** the United States, shall ***** appo*****ted an Elector.

***** practice, ***** election determines the slate of electors from ***** *****, according to the rules of each state. Thus, ***** election of federal ********** is a ***** matter ***** than a federal one as far as the manner