A new bill in the D.C. Council would allow voters to cast ballots from their phones, tablets, or computers, which proponents say would simplify the voting process and enfranchise residents who are otherwise likely to sit out elections.
The bill was introduced Friday by Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and seven of her colleagues, and follows a push launched late last year by venture capitalist and former political operative Bradley Tusk to make D.C. the first place in the country to formally adopt mobile voting.
“Voting is so fundamental to our civil rights,” said Pinto. “And we know that when voter accessibility is improved, voter turnout rates increase, which is why in 2020 we saw the highest voter participation in our history because we mailed every D.C. voter a ballot.”
As written, the bill would require that the D.C. Board of Elections create a secure system to allow any voter to fill out and submit a ballot from their smartphone, tablet, or computer. After being submitted, the elections board would print and count the ballots. The system would also check that a voter is actually eligible to cast a ballot, and authorize regular security audits.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Martin Austermuhle over at DCIST
