7 Facts You Never Knew About Online Voting System
Many governments are moving away from the traditional method of casting votes. Organizations and companies are also doing away with traditional methods. Many are now partnering with companies that provide a reputable and trustworthy online voting system. Unfortunately, there are still many things that people may not know about such systems. Here are 7 of them.
- Online Voting Does Not Only Mean Using the Internet to Cast Your Vote
Online voting or electronic voting is an all-encompassing concept. It describes a way of generating information from the public using modern technologies. This is what sets it apart from the traditional method of using paper and pen in casting votes. As long as the process involves a modern technology, one can consider it a form of electronic or online voting.
Three of the modern technologies that online voting systems use include internet-based applications and text- or SMS-based platforms. There are also those that use telephone systems in getting the sentiment of the target population.
2. Advances in Security Make Online Voting almost Tamper-Proof
One of the most common issues that detractors of online voting systems point is the security of the platform. While online voting systems do not guarantee 100% proofing against fraud and tampering, they offer better security compared to traditional methods.
If you choose a reliable online voting system provider, you can expect it to employ the highest level of data encryption in its processes. Most companies provide a 256-bit SSL level of encryption that only the smartest of hackers can crack. Many of these companies also subject their online voting systems to purposeful hacking. They hire seasoned code-hackers to break into the system. Companies do this to identify loopholes in their security protocols. They can then create measures that will solve these security issues before a client decides to use their online voting system.
There are also security features that companies build into their voting systems. These measures prevent an individual from casting his or her votes more than once. Many also observe a very strict authorization protocol. People cannot access data unless they have the proper authorization. Both central and remote servers also have their very own firewalls to help ensure better data security.
3. Accessible to More People
Some people believe that online voting is only for tech-savvy people. They think that one has to have access to a desktop computer, a laptop, or a mobile internet device to cast his or her vote. This is not true.
As already mentioned, there are three fundamental ways people can cast their votes using such a system. Using an internet-connected device is one of them. The other two does not require connection to the internet. For instance, SMS-based voting systems only require a modest cellular phone with a valid mobile number.
Online voting systems send survey questions to the mobile phone with a predetermined authentication protocol. The person can respond to the survey questions by selecting the appropriate response displayed on the cellphone screen.
And if one does not have a cellphone, he can still use an ordinary telephone. It works in the same manner. The only difference is that you will be keying in your responses, following the voice prompts.
These methods are far more convenient for everyone. They also provide better access to more people across a wide demographic.
4. Online Voting Systems Can Increase Voter Participation
Governments and companies that want to gain an understanding of public sentiment would want to get as much as 100 percent participation from their target population. Because online voting systems are so convenient and accessible, it is now possible to achieve 100% voter turnout.
It is important to understand that online voting systems can only guarantee increased voter participation with adequate information dissemination. If the target population is not knowledgeable about the survey or election, then there is still a chance that they will not cast their vote.
5. Online Voting Systems Lets You Know the Results Fast
One can almost imagine how painstakingly slow it is to count the ballots cast in traditional voting methods. They will have to examine each ballot one by one before they can start tallying the results.
From one polling station, the results get transcribed into a summary. They can then transmit this to another level in the election hierarchy. With each hierarchy, authorized persons get to assess and validate the transmitted reports. These processes take a huge amount of time.
Online voting systems can bring you the results within hours of the closing of the election or voting process. Companies will have the chance to learn the sentiment of their customers in as short as 2 hours. The public will know who won a particular electoral contest within hours, too.
6. It is More Cost-effective than Traditional Voting Methods
It is true that the initial cost of an online voting system is high. Depending on the scale of the voting activity, it can run into the tens of millions of dollars. If the company is going to use the online voting system only once, then it can be a very expensive endeavor.
However, if the voting activity is going to be an annual or a regular undertaking, then the initial costs will pay for themselves. It is a lot cheaper to conduct online voting than traditional methods. Conventional methods require the printing of millions of ballots and the hiring of personnel to help in the voting and tallying process.
7. Safeguards the Quality of the Ballots Cast
Online voting systems reduce, if not eliminate ballot errors. This is because the programming of the system does not allow the commission of mistakes in the ballots.
It is a very strict system that adheres to a very specific set of instructions. This safeguards the quality of the ballots cast and the integrity of the process.
An online voting system is a secure, fast, and very convenient way of getting the sentiment of the many. Your knowledge of this system can help you gain a better understanding of the usefulness of modern technology in ensuring one of man’s inherent rights – the right to vote.
