The 2010 Australian federal election, which will definitely return a hung parliament, has taken forever to count. Four days after citizens cast their vote and there is still no clear indication of how many seats each of the major parties has won,. It's time for the Australian electoral authorities to look at how they can improve the electoral process and their gaze should be directed towards India and Geneva. India, the world's biggest democracy, has been using electronic voting machines for years now and the results have been overwhelmingly positive. The canton of Geneva in Switzerland has gone a step further and allows citizens to vote online.
The benefits of electronic voting are many. Votes count are measured in minutes rather than days and election results are known far sooner. There is also evidence to suggest a reduction in the informal vote count. But, as many of the strident opponents of electronic voting have contended, there are also negatives such as the alienation of some voters who distrust technology and the security of the votes once cast.
Obviously, India and Geneva have overcome these problems and are reaping the benefits of a more efficient voting system. Shouldn't we be following their lead?
The benefits of electronic voting are many. Votes count are measured in minutes rather than days and election results are known far sooner. There is also evidence to suggest a reduction in the informal vote count. But, as many of the strident opponents of electronic voting have contended, there are also negatives such as the alienation of some voters who distrust technology and the security of the votes once cast.
Obviously, India and Geneva have overcome these problems and are reaping the benefits of a more efficient voting system. Shouldn't we be following their lead?