This technology can be used to protect digital ballots and passwords as they travel across the Internet. Cryptographic protocols can also be used to help preserve ballot secrecy and prevent some types of voting fraud. However, such systems may still be vulnerable to attack and should be carefully scrutinized before use in a public election. Election authorities can sign digital ballot forms so that voters know they have received an authentic ballot. However, it is important that the digital keys be properly protected in order to prevent fraud.
Smart cards are credit card-sized cards that contain small computer chips.
Such cards could be mailed to voters with pre-programmed ballots as well as encryption keys. Besides potential security problems with the cards themselves, postal mail theft could pose additional problems. Voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, and similar biometric techniques could be used to make sure that ballots are cast only by registered voters. Voters would not be able to give their passwords to other people and those techniques would bring added security to an online voting system. However, use of these techniques may raise privacy concerns.