SMART PHONE BASED VOTING SYSTEM

A new study published in Human Factors examines how smart phone-based voting systems can be incorporated into the current large-scale election process.

PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONIC VOTING TECHNOLOGY:

Many U.S. counties have incorporated electronic voting technology, largely in response to well-publicized challenges related to older mechanical and punch-card models. Although these updated systems have solved some usability problems, they present a new set of issues for voters unfamiliar with the technology.

Current electronic voting systems have numerous issues -- from usability and accessibility to security to the fact that many of them are nearing the end of their life cycle.

DESIGN:

Researchers Bryan Campbell, Chad Tossell, Michael Byrne, and Philip Kortum designed a mobile voting system tested its usability against traditional voting platforms and optimizes it for use on a smart phone. They asked 84 participants with a diverse range of voting histories and educational backgrounds to engage in a series of mock elections using different voting methods. It is found that there are numerous potential advantages in using a smart phone-based system.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES:

Ø Nobody likes to wait in line at the polling place and so mobile voting offers the opportunity to cast votes when and where it is convenient for the voter.

Ø However, making this work as an anywhere, anytime system requires solving a substantial number of serious security and authentication problems that may not be solvable, and certainly not in the near term.

Ongoing research is needed to develop systems that allow voters to securely and anonymously submit their ballots.

California Law on Anti-Theft Switch for Smart phones Goes to Governor

The Street (Aug. 12, 2014) — A California law which will require smart phones to have a switch allowing users to render the device inoperable when stolen is in the final approval stage. The California Senate passed the so-called kill switch measure. The bill is now being sent to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature. According to the bill's author, theft of smart phones had been growing along its popularity, smart phone makers like Apple and Samsung will need to notify the users when the technology becomes available. It would also require wireless carriers to check user name and passwords associated with phones that were  deactivated before the phones can be used again.