Internet Voting is Being Pushed by False Claims and Deceptive Marketing

Abstract

While the convenience of voting from a computer or smartphone over the Internet may seem to be desirable, there is overwhelming evidence that ballots cast electronically cannot be adequately secured to protect the legitimacy of the votes and integrity of our elections. Despite these conclusion, online voting has only increased in the U.S. This begs the question, why? From public statements, news reports, press releases and marketing materials it becomes evident that the vendors of these online voting systems have been selling their systems to state and local officials with potentially false, misleading and/or deceptive marketing claims. These spurious claims have served to counter the scientific conclusion that online voting is dangerously insecure and unsuitable for public elections. Moreover, these specious assertions promising security have led state and local government officials to believe, incorrectly, that online voting can be secured, and for these officials to support or press for legislation to adopt and/or expand online voting. This paper examines spurious or false claims made by the two most prominent Internet voting system vendors in the United States, and the impact these false claims have had on laws and policies to adopt online voting.