Pentagon launches Internet voting effort for overseas Americans

MSNBC ^ | 6/3/03

[areafiftyone]

Thousands of overseas Americans are expected to be able to cast ballots from their home computers in the 2004 elections, the Pentagon said Monday. Military personnel and civilians alike will be eligible to take part in the federal government’s most ambitious experiment yet in Internet-based voting.

THE PROJECT — known as the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment, or SERVE — builds on a smaller-scale effort in the 2000 elections. This time around, the system will incorporate digital certificates as an added security measure.

“Security is everyone’s first question about Internet voting, so we made security the driving factor in the SERVE system design,” Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program, said in a written statement. “We are working closely with state and local election officials to build a secure system and ensure that the integrity of the electoral process is maintained.”

While the program is being run by FVAP, a part of the Defense Department, overseas civilians as well as military personnel will be allowed to register beginning next year, assuming their state and county back home are taking part in the federal program.

At least 10 states are expected to be represented, according to FVAP’s news release: Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.

However, local legislative action is still needed before some of those states can take part.

[Blood of Tyrants]

How about a system that makes sure that the person pressing the keys is who they say they are and that they are legally able to vote? (for when the Rats get a hold of this and start registering dogs, goldfish and plants as well as illegal aliens and felons.)

[areafiftyone]

(for when the Rats get a hold of this and start registering dogs, goldfish and plants as well as illegal aliens and felons.)

How can you say that! That's insulting to Rats!!! You know as well as I do that they prefer Dead people! JEEZE!!! ;-)

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Just don't be surprised if Reuben Studdard is announced as our next president.

[areafiftyone]

[Free the USA]

fyi

[Mr. Bird]

I think the voting process should be less automated, if anything. There is no reason that we need to have instantaneous results. The '00 election gave us reason to pause. The more automation, the more likely tampering will occur.