In fact, he said, a bigger step would be the introduction of online voter registration. When digital signatures instill enough confidence in the public about online voter registration, actual voting on the Internet could be the next step, Haas said. If you don't have confidence in the voting system, you don't have a system. While voting from home may seem like a fringe issue championed by Internet enthusiasts, Woodward said there were many contingencies with practical reasons to push for Internet voting. He said the military sees it as a way for overseas troops to exercise their rights, and Mormon leaders would like to give their missionaries voting opportunities.
Computerized voting has the potential to become big business and possibly save taxpayer money.
Woodward said VoteHere could get costs down to the lower end of the spectrum, and Safevote advertised that its technology could reduce the cost per vote to 2 cents. Some organizations have used remote Internet voting for their own elections. We support Internet voting, but we see same-day voter registration and campaign finance reform as better ways to increase enthusiasm for the election system. He and election officials said remote Internet voting at best could be only a supplement to the voting process because it would elevate the technically elite and increase the digital divide between the poor and the middle class. Results from the shadow election weren't released, since election officials said they might confuse voters.