Vote by Mail, Yes, Vote Online!

We live in a world where communications are nearly instantaneous.

Some are skeptical of the security and that's fine, but many of us are convinced that with proper precautions we can use automation to simplify certain tasks, like shopping, bill paying and many others.

Mail in a traditional sense is old technology.  Still it has an official imprimatur for many and since the envelopes are sealed and privacy is guaranteed by the post office it is proposed as a means to vote.

Is it secure?  Sure it is if you build in proper identifiable safeguard.  It is true that no system is totally infallible, and that includes in person voting, but mail is guaranteed by the Post Office once mailed.

The objections to it are part of a strategy to make voting difficult for some and those same people are in favor of mail voting for those likely to support them.

There are clearly ways to assure the security of the process, I get lots of proxy votes for Corporations via the mail.  It is a system that has been time tested and has very few fraud indicators.

Speaking of those proxy statements, I get the ballot in the mail but I generally can vote at a secure website.  My ballot comes with a code and access instructions that allow a one time vote.

There is no reason this can't be used in our elections.

In voting on-line I am usually asked to verify my identity using information not included in the mailing.  So unless someone has both hacked my identity and stolen my mail it s a pretty secure system.  We cold send ballots out as certified mail to add security.

Once you are in receipt of a ballot, and of course that means you are a registered American citizen, voting would be simple if you can do the on-line verification.

Of course the other methods should be available, but we need to  get more people to vote, not less.

It's the heart of a democracy.