My Presentation: New Voting Systems

 The story that I presented to the class was about new technological advances voting systems. They are designed to make the voting process easier and more accessible, by using a computer to tally votes. The new system also allows internet voting, so that soldiers overseas can vote. As good as these new systems sound, they have one fatal flaw: they are vulnerable to hackers.

Researchers at the University of Michigan were able to easily hack the device, so that every time a vote was cast, the machine played the school's fight song. Although the hackers left behind traces that they had compromised the system, the corruption went unnoticed for two days.

The question that I posed to the class was, "Do the risks of this machine outweigh the benefits?" The responses I received were quite thought provoking. My fellow students examined the issue from angles which I had not.

The consensus seemed to be that the use of these voting systems is a potentially very bad idea. If these machines are put into use, election results can be altered, and American democracy could essentially become a thing of the past. Another alarming prospective problem, which one of my classmates pointed out, is the fact that if hacked, then voter privacy could be in danger. If a hacker has the ability to infiltrate the system, then they might possibly be able to see who voted, and for whom they voted.

One of the negative, and very real possibilities that occurred to me, is the fact that the government may still implement use of these machines. As technology pushes forward, it will seem archaic to continue use of older voting systems. These machines may just be put to use, exploitable issues included, and the voting citizenry will have no say in the matter. And it will be done in the name of progress.

The article that I am referencing can be found here:
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=569367252307714952