Voting Technology in America

By the time you read this, the US Presidential Election will have happened. Thank God! I’ve had enough of the political wrangling -McCain this, and Obama that. Leave me alone already!
I trust that if McCain is our new President, that the Lord would lead him through the coming tests, and if it’s Obama; well, we probably deserved it anyway.
Of course, the real topic here is not whether our candidate wins or loses - I want to talk about how we play the game. Can we talk about “Early” voting? I submit that this is a misnomer. I tried on several occasions to cast my early vote, only to face seemingly endless lines of fellow waiting voters.
I even tried to get an early start, arriving to the polling place at 9:15 am, only to be told that the polls didn’t open until 10:00. What a pain! That didn’t deter several people who were already in the parking lot waiting, however. Unfortunately, when you’re a small business owner time is often at a premium. I’ll just have to burn ½ the day Tuesday like everyone else.
It would have been nice if the polls had extended hours, as in North Carolina, where Gov. Charlie Crist ordered them to stay open an extra 4 hours a day and 12 hours over the weekend due to record voter turnout.
What I don’t understand is why the entire process couldn’t be easier? Why not do it online? It’s not as if the technology doesn’t exist. I can do my banking online. Pay my taxes online. Heck, I can even kick back in my bed and order any movie I want - ON-DEMAND, including those with Angelina Jolie - so long as Brad Pitt’s also in it. (Wife’s rule) Now that’s convenience!
Why not just plug ‘ole McCain and Obama into the Cable/Satellite TV menu? Just pick up your remote and click the picture of your favorite candidate to see his/her voting record, achievements, latest video coverage etc., and then Click the “Vote” button? Bam! Then you can watch the rest of “Heroes” in peace. Without those pesky campaign ads. Sure - they could do it. Once your vote is registered, ALL campaign ads would be blocked, allowing us to move on with our lives.
Even tiny countries on the other side of the world are voting online. The Republic of Estonia, near Finland and Sweden has instituted an online voting system. Last year’s election exceeded participation expectations, with over 30,000 votes cast online - approximately 3.5% of the population.
Here in America, we’re going backwards. Maryland will scrap its $65 million electronic system and go back to paper ballots in time for the 2010 midterm elections. In Virginia, localities are moving to paper after the General Assembly voted last year to phase out electronic voting machines as they wear out.
What do you think? Leave your comments online at The-Tech-Reporter.com

About the Author:
Ken Ivey is a veteran technology addict, consultant, author, and President of MidTN Technology, a marketing and web design firm. His website is www.The-Tech-Reporter.com