Digital Democracy: Why Cellphone Voting is Essential

In an era of digitizing nearly everything – from banking to healthcare – we still vote like our grandparents. I'm not nostalgic for the analog past, so as we enter the 21st century, let's update our democratic process to match our technological world. Cellphone voting is not just an innovative solution to reimagine civic engagement; it's a necessary one.

Our current voting system needs to be revised. It's costly, inefficient, and insecure. Long lines at polling stations and outdated voting machinery exclude millions of eligible voters from participating. Those who are eligible often face unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately affect certain minority groups and exacerbate existing inequities in the democratic process.

However, with cellphone voting, these issues could be a thing of the past. Every eligible voter could participate in an election by simply tapping away on their phone, empowering them, and ensuring their inclusion in the democratic process. Cellphone voting is a tool for inclusivity, bringing all eligible voters into the fold and strengthening the fabric of our democracy.

One of the best arguments for cellphone voting is that it would greatly increase the number of people who vote. The Pew Research Center reports that 97% of Americans own a cellphone and 85% a smartphone. Nearly every American owns a voting booth in their pocket. This ubiquity can mean lowering the impediments to voting that keep so many Americans from going to the polls, whether due to physical infirmity, lack of transportation, or lack of time. Cellphone voting would make the voting process more convenient, allowing people to vote from the comfort of their homes or during their daily commute, reducing the stress and hassle of traditional voting methods.

Political polarization in recent years has created an ever-larger divide between Democrats and Republicans. This complicates the picture of who votes and why. In the 2020 election, more than 159 million Americans voted, yet millions registered to vote still needed to get their ballot in. According to the US Census Bureau, 21% of registered voters in 2020 said they didn't vote because the polling place was inconvenient or because they were frustrated by long lines. Another 15 % said they didn't vote because they had problems with registration or absentee voting processes.

?Americans must recognize that we are facing a crisis in the lead-up to the 2024 election. We can no longer afford to take the integrity of our voting process for granted. As attempts to increase turnout falter and voter participation declines, our faith in election integrity erodes. The time for action is now.

The divide between Democratic and Republican voters is extreme. In a 2022 poll by the Pew Research Center, 77% of voters reported having a worse opinion of the other party than ever before. Partisan polarization hinders effective governance and undermines trust in the electoral system. Close the partisan divide and rebuild trust in our democracy.

Estonia and Switzerland have succeeded with internet voting and have significantly increased voter turnout and engagement. Estonia's national internet voting system has been in place since 2005, and almost 44% of votes were cast online in the country's most recent elections in 2019. Trials in Switzerland have shown higher levels of participation among expatriates and disabled voters.

Yet, despite these gains, US voter turnout continues to be dismal. Just 66.8 % of voting-age citizens voted in the 2020 election, according to data from the US Census, and primary election turnout is even lower; in the 2022 midterms, only about 20% of eligible voters participated, according to FairVote, a nonpartisan organization working to reform US elections. This disengagement threatens the fundamental principles of our democracy.

The other common complaint about cellphone voting is that it would be insecure, and that complaint is also easily addressed. The increasing sophistication of encryption, biometric authentication, and blockchain technology can create a voting system that is at least as secure as current paper-based systems. Indeed, as noted above, Estonia has been using end-to-end encryption and digital ID cards to secure its internet voting since 2005, with little or no evidence of fraud or 'hacking.' Blockchain, the technology that powers digital currencies such as Bitcoin, offers a way to record votes that cannot be tampered with and is transparent and auditable.

Using these and other cutting-edge technologies, Web-Impac verifies vote integrity and transparency. Our AI, for example, maintains security throughout the process by analyzing every vote in real-time, flagging anomalies, and guiding voters through the process. The deeply embedded AI in Impac's voting process can significantly increase voter turnout by making participating in local or national democracy much easier.

We're talking to venture capitalists, angel investors, and others about bringing this system to life. Please help us build the future of voting in America, rebuild faith in democracy, and ensure everyone's voice is heard.

Pushing for cellphone voting is not about making our democracy easier but ensuring it remains functional. Fewer and fewer people believe in the legitimacy of democratic institutions. Making voting more modern, secure, and accessible could help restore the voting public's trust. Imagine an election with the greatest participation in history, where every voice was heard and recorded, with a process that could be trusted.

?We now stand at a major crossroads in the evolution of both technology and democracy. The time is ripe for us to answer the call of cellphone voting, to adapt and evolve to ensure that our democracy is as dynamic and robust as the citizens it aims to reflect. Let another election cycle not pass us by. The future is in our hands – quite literally. It's time to take cellphone voting seriously and bring our democratic processes into the 21st century: the digital age.

You can help us make it so. Go to web-impac.com to learn more about Web-Impac and how it could transform voting or call/email us at +1(603)-570-4816 and [email protected].

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