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12/10/2009
Sean B
Litchfield High School, Litchfield, CT
E-voting may seem as though it is the right step in improving the election process but I believe that there are still many ways it can affect the outcome and ruin the election. Because it is done through computers there are always people who will figure ways to hack them and change results. The government should allow states to pick systems that they feel secure with because they many not feel comfortable using computers and may not feel reliable in the results. Also some states may not want to spend all the money to use the new systems when they are perfectly happy with the old ones and they are working well for them. With the new systems it does not seem as though it will make the voting process any easier or motivate the people to go vote more. If anything it would make the process harder because it is introducing all new equipment and they need to find people to teach how to use it and make sure that it is not breaking down.
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05/08/2009
Giba
overbrok high school, Philadelphia PA
I believe that it is a good and bad idea to have evoting. For the good part, it would be faster and it will be on point with the number of votes. And the bad part is that it is possible that some one can change the votes and it would be exspensive to be paperd to protect from hackers trying to change votes.
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06/10/2006
Manel W
Arts High School (Newark, NJ)
Although E-voting seems like a very good idea, there are advantages and disadvantages to both E-voting and the good old fashioned ballots. On one side there is the constant possibility for human error as seen in previous elections. On the other hand there are still chances for computer error.
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06/05/2006
Joe T.
Springfield High School, Springfield, PA
I don't think that there is any way that we could possibly begin to e-vote. I don't think that e-voting could ever happen in fact. The reason I think this is because everyday there are hackers hacking into big companies. And everyday they stop them. However the hackers consistently find new ways to cause mayhem. It's pretty obvious we have enough problems with the ballots now. I say that we figure that out before we move onto more confusing and dangerous things such as the internet.
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05/25/2006
Jonathan J.
Medina Valley High School, Castroville, TX
In previous years, voter apathy has been at a high. This is due to a number of circumstances. One in particular has been that voters cannot or do not like to wait in the long lines waiting to vote. With the introduction of E-Voting however, this process can be sped up. Many people simply do not vote because of the whole waiting process. With e-voting, this voter apathy should decline.
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05/22/2006
Ryan M.
Medina Valley High School, Castroville, Texas
E-voting is a very good idea. As the United States plunges into the 21st century, a new system for tracking election votes will be needed. In today's world of technological advancement more and more people are relying on computers or electronic devices for day to day activities. Therefore E-voting is a step in the right direction for a technologically savvy America.
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05/18/2006
Kyle
Corry Area High School, Corry, PA
E-voting is a very smart idea. Votes being electroniclly counted can prevent the need for a recount in elections. Also if voting from homes can take place then those who cannot attend the voting can still participate.
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05/08/2006
Rebekah
Stroudsburg Junior High School, Stroudsburg, PA
I think that e-voting is a great idea. Some of America may not be able to walk around or move much and if they can vote from their homes it would probably make them happier. Also it would increase voter turnout if more people voted from their homes. But then not a lot of people know how to use a computer, so we should have both the voting booths and the e-voting. That way more people get to vote and more people get to speak their opinon. It's United States of America meaning we're all united and we all get a say in what we do and who we vote for.
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04/26/2006
Betsy V.
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I think the e-voting in some type of way is a better system for voting just because this world is surrounded by technology, mostly everything that we use today has to do with technology. But also it's true that technology can be a negative because machines are expensive. Also it can become a drastic change in our economy for purchasing everything such as new machines because others had crashed, so I believe in order to save money and use it for what's more important, we should stick to paper and pen voting.
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04/11/2006
Tiffany
Halifax Area High School, PA
We should probably stick to pen and paper voting. Electronic voting machines can break at anytime and mess up votes. America doesn't have to be so futuristic in everything. Some states can't afford these new machines and the machines can also get tampered with.
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04/05/2006
manuel
Garland High School, Garland ,Texas
i don't think that thay should do e-voting. How are thay going to know if the person voting is the one person they say thay are? they are not going to know.
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04/04/2006
Jeffrey C.
Rowlett High School, Rowlett
I think voting to elect persons to public office is something serious that needs to be handled responsibly by all involved. Voting online is not as of yet a secure enough method of voting for me to trust my vote to be counted correctly. The secret ballot is a necessity in any modern democracy, and the security of my vote is a serious matter. Voting online isn't a system I am willing to put full faith in until electronic security can be made much more secure.
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04/04/2006
Maria U.
Trinity High School, Washington, PA
I believe that "e-voting" had been something that should've emerged at least five years ago. With technology being such an important part of our culture today, it seems only natural that e-voting would make the voting process not only easier, but better as well.
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04/04/2006
Antonio
Rowlett High School. Rowlett, TX
I believe that technology has advanced to the point where online voting is possible. People can apply for credit cards and renew licenses online, so why can't they vote? Servers are sufficiently secure that any attempt at voter fraud would be detected and the perpetrators would be arrested. It is time for people to put faith in technology!
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03/31/2006
Ashley L
Amador Valley High, Pleasanton, CA
We all remember the 2000 election and the problems that arose without a standardized voting system. “The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed in 2002, effectively standardized the voting system across the nation” (Student-Voices).
HAVA has taken leaps and bounds in order to get the process standardized, and we are now reaching a point where citizens can vote electronically. I agree with Aaron J when he said “punch card machines are out of date and its time we use the technology we have to make our system easy and user-friendly.” Machines made haphazardly will inevitably cause problems. A fear of many “even the notion that fraud could occur is enough reason to take the extra measure of voter-verified printouts.” This is the exact reason why “HAVA requires that e-voting machines have some sort of paper trail that can be audited during recounts” (Student-Voices). I feel that this is a proper measure to take to ensure the safety of each vote. If there is a doubt, then we can always recount an area the old fashion way.
On the issue about safe voting, if you were to lose your receipt, someone will be able to see who you voted for. If your receipt goes into the locked box as you vote, then you will not have a chance to lose it. Additionally, if you had a receipt that you carried around with you and someone found it, all they would know is who you voted for. There is no threat beyond that.
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03/31/2006
Joyce M
Arts High School, Newark
I am aware that it’s the 21st century and technology is part if our daily lives, but e-voting is taking it too far. Technology has made the world a easy place to live for many years now but I think the government should stick with the normal routine when it comes down to voting. After the presidential election controversy in Florida back in 2002, the government should take elections very seriously. E-voting might just cause another controversy in the world of politics.
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03/29/2006
mattd
garland high, Garland, TX
i think it would be a good idea because people wouldn't have to drive hours out of their way to go vote when they can't do it at home.
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03/28/2006
Michael J.
Lackawanna Trail High School, Factoryville
I believe that electronic voting is corrupt because hackers could change the votes in his favor. Also if there was a power failure you would lose all your information.
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03/28/2006
Rachel and Desiree
Lackawanna Trail High School, Factoryville
We think that it's terrible that people can now vote online. There are so many computer hackers that could easily vote for you. There could be so many more votes than actually needed.
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03/28/2006
Leo and Ken
Lackawanna Trail High School, Factoryville
I think that e-voting is a good source for voting, but I think the downfall to e-voting is that someone could vote twice under a fake alias.
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03/28/2006
AmandaS_A2
Garland High School
I believe that if e-voting were made legal, the government could make sure that everything is secure. Many people worry about that, but there are many websites that only authorized people may get in to and there hasn't been much controversy about that. If the government is willing to offer enough money to ensure that it is secure, it will be.
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03/27/2006
Jeremy G
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
Voting has and always will be a system that is thought to be broken, regardless of if it is or not. It is debated upon simply because the losing side cannot fathom the thought of a close defeat. In the case of places like Florida, which may have actually caused a different outcome in a major election, some change is obviously needed. Electronic voting, voting using a machine rather than some type of punch card method, seems to be the solution many areas are choosing to get over ballot issues. The only major problem with this is cost, the machines are simply too costly to instantly be purchased by every polling place in every city of the United States. The federal government has tried to help lessen this by providing more than $2,000,000 to states for new machines. I think that Electronic Voting is the way to go; from what I’ve seen it isn’t as risky as some people think. The process could certainly be improved by providing some type of proof of what you voted for, but the current electronic voting system is tons better than punch cards. I completely agree with Aaron J, when he says 'Punch card machines are out of date and it's time we use the technology we have to make our system easy and user-friendly.' The technology is available, it may be expensive but can we really say that we want to go through another election littered with doubts like the 2000 presidential election when we have the ability to stop it from happening?
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03/27/2006
Sam H.
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
I think e-voting is ok within limits. If the voters were made to fill out a paper slip in addition to the e-vote, it might make the process more stable, but it could also just add another unnecessary step to the process. Some sort of precautions need to be taken to ensure the safety and accuracy of the votes. While e-voting may not be the best solution to the problem, changing the system that is already in place may be. Like the article said, putting in new machines would be a very costly and tedious ordeal. A cheaper, easier alternative would be to change the ballots and simplify them to minimize confusion. I disagree with what Remah I. said, voting isn’t about enjoying the experience, it’s about voicing your opinion. I don’t think it would decrease the number of voters; after all, the majority of people are not 'frightened by technology.' One could argue that the elderly would be either against this new style or 'frightened' by it, but I would beg to differ. The machines could offer a simple push-button response system that would be easier to understand than the old ballots. Another benefit of these machines, if they are all put into place, could be that they are easily updated and changed when it is necessary to do so.
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03/27/2006
Josh R.
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
Is e-voting a good thing or a bad thing? One thing that people are worried about is the security of it. There are many people out there for whom hacking into programs over computers is their life. And what if someone hacked into the 'e-voting' program and gave a certain anything more votes? In November of 2000 the Help Americans Vote Act was passed. This said that all states should get new electronic voting booths to make it easier for people around the country to vote. Another problem that came about is if the people in the city want to have electronic voting. In Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County was sued by a voters’ rights group for purchasing 750 new machines when the system hadn’t been approved by voters. A student from Pennsylvania named James F. said that e-voting is something that is needed for the future, esspecially in a generation like ours that relies on electronics. It just makes voting an easier task and because of that more people will go out and vote. Also it may help in the area of counting, probably making for fewer miscounts. I think that e-voting is money well spent and would make voting in general much easier.
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03/27/2006
Greg B.
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
Overall I feel that electronic voting could only benefit our government. There have always been problems with the procedures we follow every day regarding voting. There will always be those people who try to impose their problems in the system and those machines that can cause errors in the read out. 'Voting has and always will be a system that is thought to be broken, regardless of if it is or not.' This was a great point, as technology improves there is always enough space for error and there always will be. The greatest concern of putting this idea into effect is the price and the possibility of error. In the long run the technology is available and if we harness it now, it will stay around for a while. I agree with Jeremy G. that 'The technology is available, it may be expensive but can we really say that we want to go through another election littered with doubts like the 2000 presidential election when we have the ability to stop it from happening?' Those votes our government holds regarding policies that are undeniably unanimous could greatly be better spent on education or for example the machines to continue our voting process.
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03/26/2006
Caitlin
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
I think that lately we have been trying too hard to revolutionize EVERYTHING to the point where we are making things even more complicated for ourselves than need-be. I think that if one is really adamant about voting then they will find the nearest poll and do it or they will fill in an absentee ballet. If people are too busy to even take the time to go vote and take the time to leave their own home to do so then how important is voting really to them? I think that voting is one of the things that we should not try to revolutionize, it has been doing pretty well so far and has been giving accurate results so taking the chance of messing it all up would not make any sense. Sure it may take longer to tally the votes or whatever but time is sometimes the price you pay for quality.
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03/26/2006
Wei Ling L.
Northeast HIgh School, Philadelphia, PA
I think the E-voting method is a great idea. Electronic votes are faster. In time people would get used to electronics. It would save everybody a lot of time by machine counts of the votes. The future should be more high tech in order to improve our society. Old fashion paper voting is too time consuming.
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03/26/2006
Julianne
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
The Help America Vote Act, passed in 2002, requires, among other things, that all states should upgrade their election equipment to electronic voting machines. I view this as a very bad idea for the American public. There is no proof that these new machines will be accurate. The fact that someone may be able to hack into the voting system and tamper with an election outweighs any possible benefits that could be gained from the machines. It is also going to be very costly to update all polling places throughout America. In order to contribute to the costs that states will face the government has already contributed $2.3 billion in federal aid to states. This amount of money should not be spent on technology that will probably be found inferior within the next year. When Herbert Thompson was brought in to inspect an optical scan machine purchased from diebold he found that given physical access to the machine one could theoretically tamper with the data inside. This does not seem like a system that we should be investing billions of dollars in. Although James commented that the new electronic system will make it easier and less time consuming the way we vote now is neither time consuming or complicated. In order to deal with the confusion that occurred in Florida during the presidential election we should simply try to update the paper system we have to make it less confusing to citizens.
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03/23/2006
Remah I.
Bodine High School, Philadelphia, PA
People prefer different ways to vote. the government should not force people to use electronic voting machines because some enjoy using technology while others do not. This might make for a decrease in the numbers of voters!
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03/22/2006
Keith
Springfield High School, Springfield, PA
I think the E-voting would be a good idea. The e-voting would decrease the chance of human error. Something like this is always rough for some people to get used to, especially the older people because they seem to not like electronics or change. But computers and electronics are improving in quality and quantity every day. I think e-voting would be a good idea also because electronically voting would save the chance of losing the votes or any kind of human error. And if the e-voting was online, it would help to increase voting because more people wouldn't have an excuse to why they didn't vote. People could do it at home or at work, instead of going down to a booth that they might not have time for. Something like this should be cautiously started because all of the software and voting has to be protected from hackers that could change who's elected. All of the bugs have to be worked out before this is started, but once it is started I think this will be a good thing.
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03/22/2006
Nicole
Greencastle-Antrim Senior High School, Pennsylvania
I think the E-Voting is a waste of time and money. I believe this because it costs more money to buy new machines and whatnot and it is also a waste of time because you have to teach people what to do and how to use them.
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03/22/2006
James F.
Greencastle-Antrim Senior High School, Pennsylvania
I think that e-voting will make voting a lot easier, especially for the younger generation who grew up around electronics. More people would be willing to vote, because it is so much easier and faster than the original procedure. Although it may be expensive, e-voting will be worth it. E-voting is the way of the future.
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03/22/2006
Andrew
Greencastle-Antrim Senior High School, Pennsylvania
I think that the e-voting is a bad idea. With all the technological problems there is too much of a risk. There are always chances of hackers and viruses making there way into the system. Something as important as the presidential election cannot be taken lightly. This voting will decide our nation's leader for the next 4 years.
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03/22/2006
becky E
Greencastle-Antrim Senior High School, Pennsylvania
i think that e-voting is a good idea because it's an easier way to get the votes in and they aren't miscounted.
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03/19/2006
Phallyn T_B1
Garland High School, Garland ,Texas
i think that we should have e-voting. i actually think that more people would vote because it is effortless. if it were online, you can do it while you are at work or even at home.
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03/17/2006
Becca
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
I do not think e-voting is a good idea. It is very expensive to put into place. Butler County had just spent about $2 million on their machines, and some people are concerned about having to alter or buy new machines. It may be a faster way to vote, but it can be less secure than regular voting. The article said that some studies have even shown the vulnerability of e-voting to computer hackers. E-voting does not fully have all of its problems worked out yet. A security consultant Herbert Thompson from Diebold Election Systems inspected the voting machines and his tests showed that someone could tamper with the data inside. I agree with Craig from Elizabethtown, Pa about staying with the voting system we have now and allowing for more time for e-voting's problems to be worked out.
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03/17/2006
Tammy R.
Warren Area High School , Warren, PA
I think e-voting would increase the number of people voting and in that respect, it's not a bad idea. However, anyone remember Florida and the chads? I think that the internet and the technology could create similar, if not more problems in accuracy.
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03/16/2006
Megan N.
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not think e-voting is very safe. If you were to lose your receipt, someone will be able to see who you voted for. With technology today, we can definitely find a better way to do e-voting.
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03/16/2006
Kelly M.
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
I do not think that e-voting is safe. I think that a better, more secure system should be created before the entire country invests in them.
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03/16/2006
Craig N.
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
Improving to e-voting would make the process a lot faster. E-voting would make it easier for a security issue to occur. The way to go is to stay with what they have now and give the states more time.
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03/16/2006
Chris
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
With the election right around the corner I don't believe there is enough time to establish e-voting that is promised not to fail.
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03/16/2006
Nicholas Z.
EAHS, Elizabethtown, PA
E-voting is unsafe because of the ever-present threat of hackers. If you make it and it's online, the hackers will come, it's been proven by all the hacked sites out there already. No matter how much security is in place, an e-voting system will we hacked.
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03/16/2006
Donna W.
Warren Area High School , Warren, PA
Although having e-voting would be an improvement, it would also cause many problems. With the technological advancements we have today, there's a good chance that an election could be hacked into if it were done through e-voting. Even though we have this option to use e-voting, I don't feel that it is very necessary. There are too many risks we are allowing by using our advances. Between hackers and a technologically advanced goverment, our voting wouldn't be safe this way. There would be no point in voting if it is only being set up to be tampered with.
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03/16/2006
Aaron J
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
'The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed in 2002, effectively standardized the voting system across the nation, requiring, among other things, that all states should upgrade their election equipment to electric voting machines, instead of traditional paper or card ballots, in time for the spring 2006 primary elections.' We all remember the difficulties that emerged without a standardized voting system during the 2000 election. HAVA has taken leaps and bounds in order to get the process standardized, and now we are reaching a point where we can vote electronically. Punch card machines are out of date and it's time we use the technology we have to make our system easy and user-friendly. Precautions are a necessity. Many people argue about the possibility of hackers changing the electronic vote, fearing that 'even the notion that fraud could occur is enough reason to take the extra measure of voter-verified printouts.' This is the exact reason why 'HAVA requires that e-voting machines have some sort of paper trail that can be audited during recounts' (Student-Voices). I feel that this is a proper measure to take to ensure the safety of each vote. If there is a doubt, then we can always recount an area the old fashion way. Megan N, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania responded, saying 'I do not think e-voting is very safe. If you were to lose your receipt, someone will be able to see who you voted for.' If your receipt goes into the locked box as you vote, then you will not have a chance to lose it. Additionally, if you had a receipt that you carried around with you and someone found it, all they would know is who you voted for. There is no threat beyond that.
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03/15/2006
Emily F.
Warren Area High School , Warren, PA
I believe that upgrades in the way we vote are needed. The upcoming generations are going to expect voting to be technologically advaced, as technology is becoming a part of everything we do. Although I do believe in improving our voting systems, I don't think e-voting is the best idea. With the population growing more and more computer-literate, we have to be more aware of hackers. If there was a way to protect votes from hackers I would be all for e-voting.
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03/14/2006
Sarah J.
Warren Area High School, Warren, Pennsylvania
I don't believe e-voting is a good idea because it just goes to prove how dependent on technology our country is. Technology does have its major advantages but what if the voting machines were to fail, votes were to be deleted, or unjustly added? Technology is fair-weather and the voting machines are easy game for hackers. I think we should save the money that would be spent on new machines and training officials and put it toward something that matters. I'm sure survivors of hurricane Katrina could use a few extra dollars to repair thier lives.
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03/13/2006
Collin
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California
Though E-Voting seems to have some serious upsides to it, the downsides outweigh them greatly. Quite simply, there is no substitute for the human mind. We don't need machines to bathe and do other daily tasks, so why would we need them with something as simple as voting? Voting nowadays has become so simple I am confident a small child could master it in minutes. California Secretary of State Kevin Shelly says, 'There was a wholesale breakdown in the election last March in one of our major counties that most Americans are familiar with, San Diego, and untold thousands of individuals were turned away and denied their right to vote because the voting equipment couldn't start' (CBS News). These machines are simply not reliable to be spending millions of dollars on. These machines, like many others run the risk of crashing, freezing, or being hacked into. I seriously disagree with Justin from Texas when he says that these will greatly increase voter turnout. There is simply no way to justify that. He is using speculation to try and prove a point. I seriously doubt that a significant number of people would show up just to use machines. I can see the machines coming in much further down the road. But at this point there are far too many flaws in them to rely on them permanently.
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03/10/2006
Stephine P. A2
Garland High School, Garland ,Texas
the government should not force people to use electronic voting machines because some people are just comfortable with technology, but they should give them a choice in the matter for those who do enjoy it. if they do start forcing people who do not want to use this, voting numbers will drop.
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02/28/2006
Katie
Episcopal School of Dallas, TX
The most reliable source of information is the human brain. When calculations for a difficult math problem are written down on paper and there is an error in the answer, it is easy to go back through your work and check to find where you made the mistake. People are becoming more and more reliant on electronics and modern technology to do their 'busy work' for them but how many times has your computer crashed or had technical difficulties which left you to start over on your 10 page government paper? Although, in theory, the electronic ballot is a good idea, there is too much room for error. There is an ever-increasing fear of identity theft and computer hacking which leaves citizens to be wary of e-voting. Simply stated, there is more room for error in e-voting than handcounting ballots which can be checked and rechecked.
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02/27/2006
Justin K
Nimitz, Irving, TX
I think it is a great idea, because i think it will greatly increase voter turnout. The only problem with this may be privacy and people using others' identities to vote for them. If there is a safe and secure way to do this then i absolutely think our government should consider it.
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02/27/2006
Audrey
Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX
It's hard to say which way America should go in voting. On one hand, e-voting is much more advanced and easily counted. On the other hand, anyone with a little bit of free time can figure out how to do anything they want with a computer like those. The only way to create a truly safe ballot may be to go with the signed, hand-written ballot. This would make counting a hassle, but it is the only way to reduce fraud. If they could just make the ballot a little bit clearer and redesign it to prevent confusion, the problem could easily be solved. I think it is wrong to have purchased e-voting machines from different sources. There is no telling what the companies have designed the machines to do. If the federal government could sponsor the making of a standard machine, without a specific company's influence, it would help the uniformity and reduce fraud. My personal opinion is that IF there was a way the government could wait and design a properly fraud-free machine, voting would be easier for the new generation of voters, as well as the old. Until this happens, the only way to prevent confusion is to redesign the ballot and rely solely on a uniform system of a signed hard copy.
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02/24/2006
Judy
South Garland High School, Garland, TX
i do not agree. I think we should stay with the system we have always used.
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02/24/2006
Mary D.
South Garland High School, Garland, TX
I really don't agree. I think we should stay with the same system we have always used because the machines could mess up and then it also costs money to buy them and fix them when they mess up.
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02/23/2006
AmandaR_B2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think they shouldn't do it because it's better if they do it by hand. Machines could mess up and then it also costs money to buy them and fix them when they mess up. Machines shouldn't be used for the voting-- they should leave it as is.
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02/21/2006
vincent b
Roxborough, Philadelphia, PA
i think that e-voting is not good because hackers can go online and chage your votes to go their way. we should stick with the machines that work and have been proven over the years.
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02/20/2006
Brittany A.
Arts High School, Newark, NJ
I do not agree with e-voting. I think that e-voting might cause even more controversy than the hand-counted votes. Yes, machines are often accurate and seem to be the best way to go, but they also have their technical difficulties. Machines at any certain time can break down. They can miscount votes also as hand-counted votes do sometimes.
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02/15/2006
Kristin
Parkland High School, Allentown
I believe that if local municipalities are willing to incur the costs associated with allowing e-voting, they should be permitted to use this. Counting the votes would be much easier and faster, however it must be ensured that the voting system is created to avoid corruption such as hacking.
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02/15/2006
Ali
Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX
Although the concept of e-voting is appealing, I think an adequate amount of time is necessary to assure voters that there are no complications, and that it is reliable. Using e-voting could cause problems by the losing information, which could lead to unnecessary controversy. And as it has been stated by other students, there is always the risk of an error within the system or hackers taking advantage of the election. Unless there is an exceptionally secure e-voting system I would not feel comfortable participating.
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02/14/2006
molly
garland high school, garland
Though e-voting could create new methods of fraud and hacking into our voting system, if properly and strictly monitored it could be a very good thing. One of our country's problems is that there are so many people who have an opinion on our government, but they're too lazy to go vote. If e-voting were accessible, those certain people could easily vote through the internet, making for a great benefit for the democracy of our country.
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02/14/2006
Mary
Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX
Although e-voting would be a faster way to tally votes, there are many complications that come with transforming the system we already have. First, having a piece of paper to count reduces the chance of discounting or changing that vote. E-voting increases the risk of losing information during its transit from computer to computer. Second, as many students have mentioned, if someone really wanted to hack into the system and alter votes, they could probably find a way to do so. This fact alone scares me from supporting e-voting until we can find an extremely safe system.
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02/12/2006
MichaelB_B1
Garland HS, Garland,TX
I think that by using e-voting we are headed in the right direction, but states should by any means necessary make sure all new electronic systems are secure.
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02/12/2006
JorgeD_B1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
E-voting sounds like a great method to use for future elections, but we have to consider the fact that computers do not always work properly. It could let people do things easier but it could mess up.
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02/11/2006
Phallyn T_B1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
e-voting can be a negative because of all of the technology. people can change votes and maybe even vote more than once using a different identity.
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02/10/2006
Kaysian
Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA
HACKERS! No offense, but there is always going to be someone out there more advanced in technology (hackers) than the government, or who the government doesn't 'own.' The smartest people in computer advancements and electronics are not always siding with the government. E-voting is so risky and shady. If you don't want the Florida craziness to ressurect, then be organized and mandate it more clearly.
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02/10/2006
Shaunta' B.
South Garland High School, Garland
The key to more efficient voting is not E-voting. I mean, granted, it is very time-cunsuming to have to go to the voting polls to vote and E-voting would cut off all the wasted time. The rule of safety and everyone's vote being counted accurately I don't feel would strictly apply. We reserve the right to be allowed to pick whosoever we wish to be our next leading man, and with today's technological possibilties, almost anyone would be able to tap in people's votes and change them to suit who they think should win the election.
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02/10/2006
Del H.
South Garland High School, Garland
I think that e-voting will prevent another mistake from happening, but the government should give the states more time so they can try out the new system to prevent any other issues coming about.
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02/10/2006
Brandon H.
Garland High School
I think that it is a bad idea because people can put false information. I also thing to do because your vote might not get there on time.
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02/10/2006
Savannah G
South Garland High School
Well, I am pretty neutral to the idea of online voting. It’s a good idea because it is a lot more convenient and will allow people to give their vote right out of the comfort of their own homes. Then again it might not be the best idea with all the computer hackers these days. Either way it’s a fabulous advancement the way our technology has stepped up to even be considered in the voting process.
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02/10/2006
Shireen
South Garland High School, Garland
I think e-voting is a good idea because it saves people's time.
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02/09/2006
StacieP_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think that e-voting is a really bad idea. It wouldn't be any different in the way of regular voting except for the fact that people wouldn't have to get off their butts to go and vote. I think that it's pointless and it would be more susceptible to hackers and online fraud.
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02/09/2006
MontrealW_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
Well, e-voting sounds like a great method to use for future elections, but we have to consider the fact that computers do not always work properly. There is no doubt in my mind that it would make voting easier and more convenient for everyone, but what proceedure will be used if the computers malfunction?
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02/09/2006
Vosw_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think it would be bad becuase who knows if the computers will be secure?
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02/08/2006
RobertW_B!
Garland High, Garland Tx
I think they should consider e-voting because the accident 5 years ago should never happen again. It will have mistakes but I think e-voting will do just fine.
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02/08/2006
Shelby G.
Stroudsburg JHS, Stroudsburg, PA
I think e- voting will lead to more problems than the paper ballots. It would be harder to verify who was voting and easier to hack and change votes. We should work on making the current voting system easier to use instead of making a whole new one.
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02/08/2006
Sara K.
Stroudsburg Junior High School, Stroudsburg
I think e-voting is not a very intelligent idea. With all these hacking programs and viruses out on the world wide web it could lead to disasterous turnouts. Yes, it would make voting faster but not more efficient. People could vote multiple times and how could you tell the age of the voter over the internet? The original way of voting might eat up time but at least it will be correct, fair, and legal.
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02/08/2006
ESMERALDAE_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think e-voting is not a bad idea because people have their own way of voting. Many of them will use e-voting and the rest will probably do it the old way.
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02/08/2006
Yeni G.
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think that E-voting is a good idea-- it saves other people's time.
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02/08/2006
UzielR_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I believe that Americans are afraid of change. Fraud may have already happened without everyone noticing. Any system in vulnerable to fraud. It depends on everyone to take the risk. E-voting may enhance the way Americans vote in the future.
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02/08/2006
PortiaJ_A2
Garland High, Garland,Tx
I think e-voting would improve the election process because most of the reason why some people don't vote is because they know they have to wait in that long line.
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02/08/2006
AmandaS_A2
Garland HS, Garland TX
I think e-voting is a great technological step towards perfect political participation. Every city should make sure that public libraries are open for those without internet access. The government has many hackers as a part of their team who are paid significant amounts to find out ways of infiltrating the system in order to decrease the possibility of voter fraud.
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02/08/2006
Laura
Episcopal School of Dallas, TX
I think the only way to have online voting is through an extremely secure computer program, which will be difficult to create without many loopholes. It is much more important to perfect the system before enforcing states to adopt e-voting. Putting voting on the internet/computer opens it up to a slew of new problems, many that will be unforseen until they occur. Government should take the process slowly, and in fact, maybe even leave it up to the states.
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02/07/2006
lisa
South Garland HS, Garland, TX
I think that voting of the 21st century will be much more manageable with technology. No more elections like the Florida 2000 craziness!
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02/07/2006
GabrielleJ_B1
Garland High School, Garland.TX
I think that people should just go to the old way of voting even though the system may have some problems with it-- what system doesn't come with problems? I think they should continue using the old way and they should just make absolutely sure that they voted for what they wanted to vote for.
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02/07/2006
Garrett
South Garland High School, Garland, Tx
I think that the idea behind e-voting is bad. I say that because people can hack into the computer and change the votes.
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02/07/2006
Andy
South Garland HS, Garland, TX
There is no way that there can be E-voting. it will be disasterous-- people will hack and Corrupt all the votes and more!
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02/07/2006
Niki
South Graland High School-Garland, Tx.
E-voting would allow more people to vote because of the widespread use of computer technology. It would be a much faster way to vote. There would not be lines to wait in, and you could vote on your own time at your own convenience. Futhermore, with our countries advanced technology, they could develop a system where the votes are separated and counted in a more efficient way.
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02/07/2006
Gloria G.
South Garland High, Garland TX
I don't think that e-voting is a good idea because the internet is not a very good place to vote, and people might find a way to change the votes.
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02/07/2006
Max
Episcopal School of Dallas, TX
E-voting is not the answer. There are thousands of 13-40 year old computer users who have the ability to hack voting programs easily. E-voting would actually make the voting process less democratic, because some elite-computer users would have the capability of changing votes, i.e., not having equality in voting. Granted, e-voting would increase the percentage of active voters--most people are just lazy--but the real problem is the Electoral College.
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02/07/2006
KristinaB_B1
Garland HS, Garland, TX
In order to avoid more problems with 'hanging chads,' recounts, and other questionable votes, we should use e-voting. It would be more accurate and less time-consuming for everyone.
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02/07/2006
Angelica S._A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
E-voting is not the right step in improving our election process.I think the government should give states more time to make sure they are picking systems that are more secure.
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02/07/2006
Grace, C (F4)
Northeast High School, Philadelphia
I think e-voting is a good idea. It shows that technology is continuing to advance for the future. I totally agree with it as long as they keep the regular booths open to the public as well. Taking into consideration that not everyone is a techie on the computer, I think that they should keep the voting booths available to whomever needs them. At least until the booths have completely been deemed obsolete.
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02/07/2006
EderT_b1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think this e-voting thing is good. i think that they should just make it safe so people can vote easier and faster.
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02/07/2006
Lanae J
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I feel as though this is a good vs. bad situation. I honestly do agree with the whole idea. I think it would be a great advantage for voters all over the country. I mean every year people go around complaining that there aren't enough people voting but yet still there seems to be no type of change. By having this new system of voting it can cause some disadvantages, since there is a lack of security when dealing with this. I say try it and see the outcome. I feel more good things will come out of this than bad. You never know until you try.
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02/07/2006
MarcC (F4)
Northeast High School, Philadelphia PA
I think that people should always find new and fast ways of getting votes processed quickly. Especially with the coming election, you won't find crowded churches anymore. People can be able to get their minds focused at home on their own computer or wherever they can have access on the computer and cast their votes there. Really, since we are living in the Technology Age, e-voting is more efficient and useful even for those who aren't able to get out of the house due to disabilities or other circumstances. Really, e-voting is more secure than voting out in the streets because there is a better chance that no one will tamper with the ballots or during election day there would be no chance of a miscount since the votes can be calculated online and accurately. So I think e-voting is a step up for our society today.
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02/07/2006
cedricW_a2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think that voting of the 21st century is not going to be that stable due to all the cheating methods people have.
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02/06/2006
KirstenK_A2
Garland High School, Garland,Tx
I don't think that e-voting is the best idea. It's not anymore secure than the methods of voting we have at this moment but I believe that it may be easier to tamper with the ballots.
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02/06/2006
NhiH_B1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I personally think that the e-voting would be a good idea. It's much easier for people who don't have time to vote.
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02/06/2006
JuliaG
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I think that e-voting could be a good thing if we can get around hackers who would ruin the whole election. I think people would rather vote in the convenience of their own home than go out and wait in long lines. I think this convenience could cause a decent rise in the amount of American citizens who vote.
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02/04/2006
SHAN M.
NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL, Philadelphia, PA
I think e-voting is a good idea to have in elections because it is faster and more accurate.
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02/03/2006
tiffanyg_b1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
i think that people should be able to 'e-vote' vote online.
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02/03/2006
GiselaR_B1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think that e-voting is and easier and fastest way to vote, and it would increase the number of voters.
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02/03/2006
VICTOR_A2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I think e-voting is a good idea because people will be able to vote from their homes.
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02/02/2006
FransisB_B1
Garland High School, Garland, TX
Using a computer to vote could lead to problems. E-voting could be an easier way to vote but it could also be easier for other people to read what others put in it.
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02/02/2006
Sherritha W_B-1
Garland High School, Garland Tx
I think it shouldn't matter whether you want to do e-voting or just vote with paper and a pencil. the only difference is that e-voiting is more up to date then voting the old way. As long as you have some sort of back up plan in case something goes wrong, everything should be alright.
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02/01/2006
RyderI_B1
Garland High School, Garland, Tx
I personally think the pencil and paper method should remain universal. It is accurate and secure. Any number of things could go wrong with the use of computers in voting.
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02/01/2006
Amanda
Parkland, Allentown, PA
E-voting is clearly the most efficient system of voting. It is quick, requires less work, and allows for greater accuracy. As far as whether or not it is secure, all systems run the risk of being insecure. However, we have to weigh the positives versus the negatives. The possibility of a lack of security is hardly reason enough to avoid a much more efficient system. Let's step into the 21st century.
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02/01/2006
Ankita
Parkland HS, Allentown, PA
I think that e-voting would make it much easier to vote and therefore produce a higher voter turnout rate. Governments should make the e-voting systems as secure as possible with the sophisticated technology they have and create back-ups such as printouts to make the process more accurate. Since this system would not only make it easier for people to vote but also inform them on other issues that arise, I think the extra time that states need to spend making sure the systems are secure is well worth it.
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02/01/2006
Erin R.
Parkland High School, Allentown, PA
While e-voting would provide a more efficient method for collecting and counting votes, I still think we should stick to the traditional method. The lack of security involved with e-voting is too great a risk. If e-voting is improved and tested in the future, it might one day become a part of the voting process. However, at this moment, I feel it would be a mistake to implement this system without completely understanding the risks associated with it.
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02/01/2006
Nina W.
Parkland High School, Allentown, PA
I believe that e-voting may sound like a good idea, but is it secure enough or efficient enough to elect our next president? There are hackers that could hack into the program, citizens can vote more than once, what about if the system crashes, and many senior citizens do not know how to use computers? Technology is not as dependable as many might think. If the government solves all the problems that may occur with e-voting, then maybe it is possible, but only if the government know that numerous problems will rise and they must know how to fix the problems. We are electing our next president, whom will serve the country for 4 years, we couldn't blame it on technical problems.
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02/01/2006
Katie
Parkland High School, Allentown, PA
When deciding whether it is beneficial for e-voting to be instituted, one must consider both the positive and negative effects it will have. As we continue to move further into the twenty-first century, technology has become a staple to society. These new machines will make the voting process much less complicated and easier. The cost issue is a major factor, so it would be necessary for the governement to allow more time before enforcing e-voting. Additionally, research and methods to prevent error need to be established before this becomes the only method of voting. Overall, I feel that e-voting has all the potential to be great, but it needs more time and research before being implemented.
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02/01/2006
LaDarionJ_a2
Garland High School, Garland, TX
I personally believe that e-voting will cause more problems than it will solve. Sure I believe that if managed properly there would be a higher turn-out. But hackers will have a field-day with this. So I think that we should stay with the original method of voting.
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02/01/2006
Nishita
Parkland High School, Allentown, PA
I think that right now, e-voting can bring more problems than solutions. Though it might seem more efficient, without a great emphasis on security and assurance that the process is running smoothly and accurately, e-voting does not seem a good alternative. Traditional processes has their own values, and continuing them will enforce more integrity in my opinion.
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01/31/2006
BubbaS_A2
Garland HS, Garland, TX
I disagree with this idea because it will only cause more controversy. If a canidate loses then they could blame it on the e-voting.
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01/31/2006
Hern
Kennedy, Denver, CO
I think this is a fabulous idea!
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01/31/2006
VICTOR R.
GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL,, GARLAND TEXAS
I think e-voting is not a very good idea because if a hacker wants to hack in and change the number of the votes, he probably would do it.
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01/31/2006
michelle_b1
Garland HS, Garland, TX
i think it's completely crazy because you can vote as many times as you want and it will never work out. it will get too confusing. we should just stick with the regular way and stop trying to bring out new and more technology.
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01/31/2006
Christopher, L (F4)
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
I think e-voting would be a great idea in the future for everyone. I believe it would be more convenient for people to vote and the voting process will be faster. There are many advantages to e-voting, but there are also disadvantages. As of right now I think one of the disadvantages of e-voting is that it's not 100% safe. This can be a big issue if the vote count is close.
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01/31/2006
Thomas W.
Brookhaven, Columbus OH
I think e-voting is a great election addition because it makes things much easier.
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01/31/2006
NatalieP_A2
Garland H.S., Garland, Tx
In my opinion, e-voting is not an improvement just because there are so many citizens without internet, so fewer people will be able to vote. The internet is never a safe way to keep certain people from hacking into the network, hence, it could compromise voting. You should solve the problems beforehand because that could send society into a panic which is never pleasant.
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01/30/2006
MarielN_B1
Garland High School, Garland Tx
I personaly think e-voting is a great idea, however, maybe not the safest. online voting is maybe the most comfortable for some people, but for others, it's a nightmare. People have come to a point where security is no problem to them. They have pursued with their sick minds to enter personal issues and black-mail people. What does this to do with elections? It's simple. Security systems might not be to great and able for any sick minded person or terrorist to change that. I say just stick to the old school. I know as risky as it is to do it on computer, it's the same with the other machines. But at least you know there is somebody looking over that shoulder and knowing that you are doing or not doing the right thing.
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01/30/2006
BrandonP_b1
garland h.s. garland tx.
I think that the government should give the people time to make sure that the new voting tool is safe, because the people will be putting private info on the computer which makes things public for the other people to see. Plus who knows if a computer may crash or pick up a virus along the way of voting, then everything will be erased!
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01/27/2006
Mimi W.
Arts High ( Newark, NJ )
I think considering e-voting is past risky. Already with simple computers, your information could be tapped into, viruses detroy information, etc. So if you take technology into a very sensitive matter of the government, they are just setting us up for more difficulties to come. A hacker would have so much power if they could set back votes with the click of a button. Computers are a wonderful tool for many things, but over the years, sticking to simple voting systems is a much better choice. I could only imagine trying to vote, and then having to reboot the system or double click my vote in. Then find out later it never was submitted.
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01/27/2006
Kadeem T.
Arts High School
Some might agree but on the other hand I disagree that e-voting is the right way to improve our election process. Although technology has really improved in the past years, mistakes can still occur from e-voting.
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01/27/2006
Tony C.
Nimitz, Irving, TX
I personally believe that using technology to vote is not always the smartest choice because of technical difficulties that always occur. It also is not safe, and voting is an important thing to miss out on only because of technical problems.
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01/27/2006
David V.
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
I feel that using an e-voting approach would be a very risky move to voters. There are too many people who would ignorantly waste their time to try and corrupt an election with viruses and hacking. I am sure there could be other reliable e-voting options, but I think it is in the nation's best interest to stick with current reliable sources for our voting. Our united voice is too precious to get ruined by ignorant vagabonds who would take advantage of this.
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01/27/2006
Patrick
Nimitz, Irving, TX
What is important is that people cast their vote- the method is not that important. While I think that it would be efficient to have e-voting as standard, if it takes a few more years I won't mind at all. However, when it does happen, I want to be guaranteed that my vote has been submitted.
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01/27/2006
DanielleS
Northeast, Philadelphia, PA
i think that e-voting will be good until people start to hack computers and begin to put faulty votes in and it will turn into a big lie about who should really be president or any of the other elected offices.
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01/26/2006
Angelica C.
Arts High School, Newark NJ
Many feel that e-voting may be the right way to improve our election process because of the fact that technology is most often accurate. I personally believe that the same way people miscount so do machines. Also, I think the same bribery that takes place with hand counted votes can also take place with eletronic votes. One way or the other experts will have access to these machines and can change the number of votes.
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01/26/2006
Brittany A.
Arts High School, Newark NJ
I do not agree with e-voting. I think that e-voting might cause even more controversy than the hand-counted votes. Yes, machines are often accurate and seem to be the best way to go, but they also have their technical difficulties. Machines at any certain time can break down. They can miscount votes also as hand-counted votes do sometimes.
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01/26/2006
Bennie W.
Arts High ( Newark,NJ)
I also agree with Brittany from Arts high-- even though counting the ballots by hand might take too long it has a 50% more accurate than a computer. so i just think that they should just keep it the way it was for years.
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01/26/2006
Johana F.
Arts High (Newark, NJ)
I believe it is time our country uses e-voting. I have worked at the election polls and have witnessed first hand the diffcultly people have using these old machines. It is as if these machines were made to confuse voters on purpose. Many people come out saying 'i hope i voted right?' The process of counting these votes and seeing if some should be counted is a very archaic procedure. That leaves lots of room for error. I believe e-voting would benefit our voting process greatly.
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