The implementation of any new technology usually implies the convergence of different areas of knowledge. In one hand, we have researchers and innovators creating the concept and developing the product, and in the other, people analyzing the possible impacts that the new invention will have on society.
Voting technology is no exception to this phenomenon. Its development and widespread use has been possible because of the joint efforts of political science, law, cognitive science, computer science, sociology, and business experts. Thousands of papers have been published in knowledge centers around the world during the last two decades pondering about the benefits automation brings to the different tasks involved in an electoral process and how to integrate it into society smoothly.
Security seems to be one of the greatest concerns in Academia, as it is one of the greatest advantages that electoral technology offers to society. Social acceptance is another popular field for researchers, since people can be adverse to new technologies before testing them for the first time.
The Independent Commission on Alternative Voting Methods published a major analysis of new voting methods for the Electoral Reform Society in the UK. In it, the Commission conducts a thorough examination of each one of the various electoral automation systems available on the market, and adds its own recommendations on how to improve technical and legal aspects. The Commission concludes that security and secrecy are “easy to maintain” with e-voting.
Meanwhile, the Brennan Center for Justice, from New York University, has also released a study that concludes that “paperless voter registration yields substantial benefits for voters and governments alike.” Voter registers are being significantly improved through the adoption of biometric technology. Electronic registers provide a secure and efficient solution for one of the most important parts of the electoral cycle.
Another educational institution working with voting technologies is the University of the Aegean in Greece. At the moment, it is preparing a publication called “Design, Development, and Use of Secure Electronic Voting Systems,” which is to be released in 2013. The editors’ goal with this book is to shed light over past experiences in e-voting, both good and bad, in order to develop “a design framework, with recommendations of considerations that can assist in decisions regarding deployment choices, but also system features, prerequisites and requirements.” The compilation should contain texts on various subjects ranging from democracy to cryptography, showing the various technical and societal aspects electoral technology affects, especially in terms of security.
We are eager to see the debate grow and to find Academia even more connected with such groundbreaking technologies.