Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 17:09:41 -0400
From: Luis German RODRIGUEZ L." <[email protected]>

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS A NON-EDITED AUTOMATIC TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL IN SPANISH

Greetings to all,

In the recently resolved primary elections of the Democratic Party of the United States of America they have just been carried out the first national elections based on Internet.

It was in the state of Arizona and an interesting report exists on the fact in yes and the company that had the responsibility of the technological part of the matter in the website of the magazine Redherrings. (http://www.herring.com/industries/2000/0309/ind-election030900.html) (Election.com aims to profit from politics, Ken Yamada. Redherring.com, March 09, 2000)

The CEO of the company in question (Elections.com) Joe Mohen affirms that they are behind a lucrative business that offers the registration services and of voting to professional organizations and without ends of lucre, also for public elections.

Among their clients the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Pennyslvania State Employee Credit Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Does the company consider important also the enormous external market especially in countries in via of development (sic) (?).

So alone last month the Department of Justice North American waste the claim of some groups that protested because the voting via web was discriminatory for poor people or that it doesn't possess computer. The mentioned Mr. Mohen insists that the web will give more public access to the political system and it points out that the great challenge for its country and for the planet it is to make sure that poor people vote.

So much good intention is understood: they estimate that they are in front of a market of US$10 a thousand annual millions in costs of elections, services and related materials. To those who have intentions of intruding in the business they are informed that there is already competition in this field (Voter.com and Grassroots.com

Finally voucher the pain to mention the following economic argument: some countries (they are not specified which) they spend as much as US$32 for voter for election (it includes printed and personal materials) using traditional means while via web that cost arrives to US $2 for voter.

They could associate the electoral campaigns with training campaigns on the use of Internet and of democratization of the access. For example in Venezuela in the last 15 months have taken place 5 national electoral processes (some of multiple election) and still lack a "megaelection" (they will choose from the President until the parochial meetings) in May. Of having embarked us in a good project that it integrated the elections at least with the penetration of Internet we would be taking out him some acceptable advantage for all and we would be some of the world leaders of the digital era. But neither...

http://funredes.org/mistica/english/emec/production/c4/0162.html
Last modified: 15/03/2000