4 ms·

.. or just make all balloting mail in. Though I think you'd see an increase in turnout if return postage was paid.

by Aloha 9y ago

tryptophan 9y ago
... or lets realize its not 1950 and we could vote electronically.
- untog 9y ago
  Please let's not. The security issues are terrifying.
- colemannugent 9y ago
  As someone whose job is to solving problems with computers: this is not a problem that can be solved by computers. Mainly, it all comes down to trust. Computers introduce too many complex systems to properly audit and thus require too much trust to use for voting.
- Aloha 9y ago
  why add complexity to a simple problem? Everyone can use a paper ballot - not everyone can use a computer - and I dont see this changing in the future. Not every problem is best solved by adding technology - some are much better served by removing some.
- alkonaut 9y ago
  Even if you can do it securely (I do all my taxes electronically, as is the case with all other contacts with public services and authorities), there are issues with elections. E.g: someone cold drive around “helping” elderly people to e-vote. This type of thing has to be done “visibly” if you have to bus people to polls. Basically, if you want to cheat you have to do it in public. Polling stations are a good invention. The ceremonial act of physically voting and seeing others vote also has value.
  - gizmo686 9y ago
    You can already do that with mail in voting. The problem with electronic voting is that it can be hacked at scale.
mr_tristan 9y ago
This is actually the way Oregon does it. You don't mail it back, there are dropoffs (located all over the place). You are also automatically registered by default, but can elect to opt-out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon It's pretty convenient. (I live in Oregon.) Dropoffs are all over the place, you can do it right up to the end of the day on election day, but really you have 2 weeks to fill it out and drop it off. I believe it's resulted in Oregon consistently having one of the highest voter turnouts, which is notable, since there's next to nothing spent in the state in terms of campaign advertising, and the senate races are not particuarly contentious.
- steeef 9y ago
  You can choose to either vote by mailing your ballot back in the provided, pre-paid envelope, or dropping it off. I usually end up waiting until the last minute and then driving to a nearby public library to drop it off.
- Aloha 9y ago
  I live in washington, similar system except the envelopes are not prepaid.
  - ckrailo 9y ago
    The envelopes are not prepaid in Oregon either, that was an oops. (Or, at least they aren't in Washington and Clackamas counties!)

.. or just make all balloting mail in. Though I think you'd see an increase in turnout if return postage was paid.

by Aloha 9y ago

.. or just make all balloting mail in. Though I think you'd see an increase in turnout if return postage was paid.

tryptophan 9y ago

... or lets realize its not 1950 and we could vote electronically.

untog 9y ago
Please let's not. The security issues are terrifying.
colemannugent 9y ago
As someone whose job is to solving problems with computers: this is not a problem that can be solved by computers. Mainly, it all comes down to trust. Computers introduce too many complex systems to properly audit and thus require too much trust to use for voting.
Aloha 9y ago
why add complexity to a simple problem? Everyone can use a paper ballot - not everyone can use a computer - and I dont see this changing in the future. Not every problem is best solved by adding technology - some are much better served by removing some.
alkonaut 9y ago
Even if you can do it securely (I do all my taxes electronically, as is the case with all other contacts with public services and authorities), there are issues with elections. E.g: someone cold drive around “helping” elderly people to e-vote. This type of thing has to be done “visibly” if you have to bus people to polls. Basically, if you want to cheat you have to do it in public. Polling stations are a good invention. The ceremonial act of physically voting and seeing others vote also has value.
- gizmo686 9y ago
  You can already do that with mail in voting. The problem with electronic voting is that it can be hacked at scale.

mr_tristan 9y ago

This is actually the way Oregon does it. You don't mail it back, there are dropoffs (located all over the place). You are also automatically registered by default, but can elect to opt-out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-by-mail_in_Oregon It's pretty convenient. (I live in Oregon.) Dropoffs are all over the place, you can do it right up to the end of the day on election day, but really you have 2 weeks to fill it out and drop it off. I believe it's resulted in Oregon consistently having one of the highest voter turnouts, which is notable, since there's next to nothing spent in the state in terms of campaign advertising, and the senate races are not particuarly contentious.

steeef 9y ago
You can choose to either vote by mailing your ballot back in the provided, pre-paid envelope, or dropping it off. I usually end up waiting until the last minute and then driving to a nearby public library to drop it off.
Aloha 9y ago
I live in washington, similar system except the envelopes are not prepaid.
- ckrailo 9y ago
  The envelopes are not prepaid in Oregon either, that was an oops. (Or, at least they aren't in Washington and Clackamas counties!)