My most recent post on this subject was constructively challenged by someone I respect highly. This person asked:
- What are ‘high logistical and environmental costs’, in £££ and time?
- How many people are affected by mobility issues, visual impairments or other things preventing them from going to polling places.
- Concerning proxy voting, postal voting and statutory aids for people with visual impairments:
- How many people are involved?
- How many would benefit from the change?
- How often does it happen that polling places become unavailable?
- What would success in increasing turnout (due to e-voting) look like?
- Concerning ‘facilitating reliable and rapid results (including fewer spoilt ballots)’:
- What speed up could be expected?
- How many spoiled ballots happen?
- And under e-voting, how many errors?
- What are the risks & consequences of hacking?
- Concerning ‘reducing the costs of paper ballots’:
- What does it cost?
- How much would it cost to run e-voting instead?
- Interesting question is how/whether e-voting helps or hinders a sense of community…
This post attempts some back-of-a-fag-packet answers to questions 1, 2 and 3. The other questions will have to wait for another post.
Digital evidence that Bruce might have a life 