Did President Obama Just Announce His Support For Online Voting?
Earlier this summer, President Barack Obama sat down with Fast Company editor-In-chief Robert Safian to discuss some of his opinions on technology issues and solutions. In this interview, the President told Safian that he believes online voting should ‘absolutely’ be a priority. Safian asked:
Arguably the next killer app for tech would be online voting. That’s a state and local issue, but I wondered whether you think that it’s something that should be a priority for technologists?
The President’s response:
Absolutely. So we’ve been talking about the U.S. digital team, and a lot of this is: How do we deliver services better to customers?
Along with his support for online voting, the President addressed the need for both transparency and easy access to information regarding things such as how our tax money is being spent. He also hit the nail on the head, as far as encouraging citizen engagement with technology, something Follow My Vote is extremely passionate about. The President said:
What we should also be thinking about is, How can technology enhance the experience of democracy? How can we make it easier to vote? How can we make it easier for like-minded citizens to petition their government in a way that is meaningful?
YES! YES! YES! These are absolutely the type questions we need to be asking right now in our country, and the President of the United States just gave his validation.
Obama also shared some of the reasons he came out in support for online voting, and it has to do with his daughters.
I look at my daughters, who are, as every teenage kid is today, completely fluent in technology and social media. They might not go to a town hall meeting physically, the way their grandmother might have around some issue, and sit through a two-hour debate. Because they’re just used to things moving faster. But we can imagine creating a corollary process for them that is consistent with how they interact generally. We can think of apps that promote engagement and the power of people.
Our youth are extremely active online and Obama gets it. They communicate, interact, shop, and even go to college online. Shouldn’t we have options in the voting process to encourage their engagement? We believe online voting is the solution to increasing voter turnout and restoring faith in the democratic process.
President Obama just voiced his support for online voting. Will you?
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Check out the full interview on Fast Company here.
About the author: Will Long is the Marketing Manager of Follow My Vote.
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