Internet voting is insecure and should not be used in public elections (blog.citp.princeton.edu)

Article summary

A group of 21 computer scientists argue that internet voting is insecure and should not be used in public elections due to the risk of malware and other vulnerabilities. They claim that no known technology can make internet voting secure and that the use of internet voting systems, including End-to-End Verifiable Internet Voting, poses significant risks to election integrity. The scientists also criticize the Mobile Voting Foundation's VoteSecure system, saying it is insecure and does not provide meaningful security guarantees. They conclude that internet voting should not be used in public elections until these security concerns are addressed.

Main themes

• internet voting security
• election integrity
• voter ID systems
• voter suppression
• democratic values
• electoral process
• technology and security
• international voting systems

What commenters say

• Internet voting is not secure enough to be used in public elections due to the risk of malware and other vulnerabilities.
• The use of voter ID systems can be a form of voter suppression, particularly if the IDs are not free and easily accessible to all voters.
• Some argue that the benefits of internet voting, such as increased convenience and accessibility, outweigh the potential security risks.
• Others believe that the security risks associated with internet voting can be mitigated through the use of advanced technologies, such as blockchain and end-to-end verifiable voting systems.
• The requirement for voters to have a state ID can disenfranchise certain groups of people, such as those who cannot afford the ID or have difficulty obtaining one.
• The security of internet voting systems is not just a technical issue, but also a matter of democratic integrity and the protection of voters' rights.
• The use of internet voting systems can undermine trust in the electoral process and potentially lead to the manipulation of election results.
• Some countries, such as Australia and India, have implemented successful and secure voting systems that do not rely on internet voting.