Barbara Simons: Why can't we vote online?

Many people ask: Why can I bank online but not vote online? According to computer scientist Barbara Simons, co-author of the book Broken Ballots, neither is safe. In this talk, Simons explains that no website is immune to outside attacks -- not your bank's, not the CIA's and certainly not an online voting system developed by a locality for an election. In this talk, she gives a sobering truth: that the internet is fundamentally insecure and that online voting may never be a safe option.

Recorded: November 5, 2012

[aleksandar]

All of those things are very serious weaknesses, and we didn't even go deep into how impossible any auditing against malicious software/hardware BY the officials. They can leave open exploits only they know of etc. etc.

[modurhead]

people file taxes online. and using the internet for voting could use a secure .gov email address from the post office web site. and the government would treat the internet more like the interstate system that many use to go to the polls on election day.

[dfrankrobinson]

We can all relax and let NSA vote for everyone over the internet. Problems solv-ed, as Inspector Cluseau would say.

[dumbodonus]

Can you imagine the turnout and progress we could make with online voting. 

[PhilipChristopher]

Online voting is inevitable. But there is so much to do before the inevitable arrives and it can be much sooner than expected. Barbara's views are quite comprehensive in terms of the areas that need immediate attention. Thanks for the critical review. 

[raydanksford]

sad that this commentary doesn't focus on how to make the technology safer as voting would be far more impactful if able to be done via the web.

[victordiaconescu]

This lady thinks she discovered America