Intro: An Online Election in America

image
Author: Matt Metzner
Published: 16 Aug, 2012
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Over the next several weeks I will be posting content from a paper written earlier this year regarding the implementation of an online election in America. The general thesis being that an online election could be conducted and would likely create an increase in voter turnout.

First the paper will evaluate voter turnout rates in recent national elections. Comparing both mid-term to presidential elections.

The paper addresses the threat of voter fraud as a major counterpoint to online elections in America and new election technology. I will dispel the rumor that voter fraud is a large enough problem to warrant closing the door on new technology.

The paper will also present several case studies where countries, municipalities, and organizations have held online elections effectively. Each location implemented the technology slightly differently and their tools will be evaluated.

Finally, practices that I believe are best suited for implementation in the United States will be presented. This will include the technology, mechanisms for preserving transparency and security, and opportunities for making democracy more available to American citizens.

Feel free to ask questions, object, raise issue with any of the points considered. I'll gladly enter a discussion, point you to my sources, and debate each issue. The paper will be presented as a series of segments as I dive into the possibility of an online election in America being held in the near future.

Latest articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
A man filling out his election ballot.
Oregon Activist Sues over Closed Primaries: 'I Shouldn't Have to Join a Party to Have a Voice'
A new lawsuit filed in Oregon challenges the constitutionality of the state’s closed primary system, which denies the state’s largest registered voting bloc – independent voters – access to taxpayer-funded primary elections. The suit alleges Oregon is denying the voters equal voting rights...
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Sides with Federal Corrections Officers in Lawsuit Over Prison Incident
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that federal prison officers and officials cannot be sued by an inmate who accused them of excessive force during a 2021 incident, delivering a victory for federal corrections personnel concerned about rising legal exposure for doing their jobs....
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read