Political elections in the United States require voters to travel to the polls in person or to mail in absentee ballots. That has resulted in elections, such as that in 2004, receiving substantially fewer votes than TV reality shows that allow online voting. While the availability of online voting in political elections may change in the future, given the fast pace with which technology develops, right now the issue is still in debate.

Pro: Convenience

Perhaps the biggest pro of online voting is that it has the potential to make voting easier and more convenient. For those who have access to computers and the Internet, online voting would take little more effort than a few clicks. This way of voting also eliminates the need for transportation, reduces or eliminates missed time at work or school, and decreases the impact of barriers such as lack of child care, illness, confusion about polling locations and long lines. It would make voting easier and more private for those with disabilities, anxiety issues or serious medical conditions.

Con: Election Tampering

Where there is Internet, there are viruses. The Internet is an almost incomprehensibly large network of computers, and monitoring those computers for security threats is a hefty and expensive task that cannot ever ensure 100 percent safety. That’s fine when you’re using your computer to update your blog, but when you’re determining the future of a nation, even the smallest security flaw can can have dire consequences. In addition, savvy hackers could potentially find ways to rig the outcome of the elections, such as tampering with the way votes are submitted and counted or even casting votes for people who did not actually intend to vote. What’s more, without monitored polling locations, there’s no way to ensure that voters were not coerced into voting a certain way. It can also be difficult to prove the identity of the person casting the online vote.

The True Pros and Cons of Online Voting

Many people are actually unaware of the technology that could eliminate all of the cons associated with internet voting. The pros and cons of internet voting become completely different when we use blockchain technology.

The article we looked at listed internet voting cons as follows: election tampering, decreased efficiency and accuracy, and disenfranchisement.

Through the use of blockchain technology, these cons of online voting become solved problems.