Electronic elections : the perils and promises of digital democracy / R. Michael Alvarez and Thad E. Hall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alvarez, R. Michael, 1964-

Contributor:

Hall, Thad E. (Thad Edward), 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Electronic voting--Security measures--United States.

Electronic voting.

Electronic voting--United States.

Voting-machines--United States--Reliability.

Voting-machines.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (235 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Since the 2000 presidential election, the United States has been embroiled in debates about electronic voting. Critics say the new technologies invite tampering and fraud. Advocates say they enhance the accuracy of vote counts and make casting ballots easier--and ultimately foster greater political participation. Electronic Elections cuts through the media spin to assess the advantages and risks associated with different ways of casting ballots--and shows how e-voting can be the future of American democracy. Elections by nature are fraught with risk. Michael Alvarez and Thad Hall fully examine the range of past methods and the new technologies that have been created to try to minimize risk and accurately reflect the will of voters. Drawing upon a wealth of new data on how different kinds of electronic voting machines have performed in recent elections nationwide, they evaluate the security issues that have been the subject of so much media attention, and examine the impacts the new computer-based solutions is having on voter participation. Alvarez and Hall explain why the benefits of e-voting can outweigh the challenges, and they argue that media coverage of the new technologies has emphasized their problems while virtually ignoring their enormous potential for empowering more citizens to vote. The authors also offer ways to improve voting technologies and to develop more effective means of implementing and evaluating these systems. Electronic Elections makes a case for how e-voting can work in the United States, showing why making it work right is essential to the future vibrancy of the democratic process.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

CHAPTER 1. What This Book Is About

CHAPTER 2. Paper Problems, Electronic Promises

CHAPTER 3. Criticisms of Electronic Voting

CHAPTER 4. The Frame Game

CHAPTER 5. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

CHAPTER 6. The Performance of the Machines

CHAPTER 7. Public Acceptance of Electronic Voting

CHAPTER 8. A New Paradigm for Assessing Voting Technologies

CHAPTER 9. Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [207]-215) and index.

ISBN:

9786612531460

9781282531468

1282531468

9781400834082

1400834082

OCLC:

609856396