Why can't American vote by mobile phone? Because it's a national security issue

Why can't American vote by mobile phone? Bits finds out what's holding the government back.

... That�s because, security experts say, letting people vote through their phones or computers could have disastrous consequences.

�I think it�s a terrible idea,� said Barbara Simons, a former I.B.M. researcher and co-author of the book �Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count?�

Ms. Simons then ran through a list of calamitous events that could occur if we voted by Internet. Viruses could be used to take over voters� phones; rogue countries like Iran could commandeer computers and change results without our knowledge; government insiders could write software that decides who wins; denial-of-service attacks could take down the Internet on Election Day.

�It�s a national security issue,� Ms. Simons said. �We really don�t want our enemies to be able to determine our government for us � or even our friends for that matter.�

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emily | 9:02 AM | SMS and Politics |
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