While the project looks modest, consisting largely of laptop computers inside small blue voting booths, Slocum said it represents the potential to reverse the decline in voter turnout. In 1964, the presidential election enticed 90.2 percent of voters to take part, Slocum said. In 1996, the number dropped to 71.6 percent. At first you had to own land, had to be a white male. Then it expanded.
Internet voting has the potential to engage new people in democracy.
Earlier this year, the California Secretary of State's office came out with an Internet Voting Report that recommended slowly phasing in online voting. At first, votes could be cast only under supervision and at the voter's own polling place. Then the system would expand to allow residents to vote at any polling place, then to allow remote voting from county computers, according to the report. The final step would allow remote voting from any Internet connection. This multi-phase approach would give officials time to identify problems such as security breaches.