They aren't the first, however, to participate in online voting. Discussions of this possibility went into the general media during the 1996 election, where the Internet made its first appearance in a presidential election. By 1998, a couple of states were already setting up the platforms needed to run their elections both in-person and online. Currently, Arizona, California, Ohio and Florida have already developed some form of online voting for test basis. It is proposed for California to be the first instance outside of a test setup to run their elections online some time within the next year.
All parties involved in the election can see both benefits and downfalls to having Internet voting.
The largest factor changed would be voting demographics. In the last election, a dismal less than 50 percent of Americans came out to vote. The current middle to upper-middle class American lifestyle does not suit going to specific voting centers during specific times to participate. Globalization has played a factor in this as well, demanding that offices be open and available for markets all over the world. Because most businesses these days have Internet connectivity, online voting can boost the voter turnout.