Computers and Politics

Overview From computerized voting machines to online grassroots political campaigns, technology has found its way into the realm of politics. Hopeful political candidates used to send out reams of paper to attract voters’ interest; now they use e-mail and Web sites to provide information, contact voters directly, and conduct opinion polls. Check out the links below to learn more about how computers are used in politics.

General Information The official Web site of the United States Government includes links that allow people to contact elected officials and research legislation, as well as links to lots of other government information. Most major political parties maintain Web sites as well. Check out the Democratic National Committee official Web Site, the Republican National Committee Web site,  and the Libertarian Party home page.

Specific Links Follow the below links to information about computers and politics.

  • Bob Dole was one of the first politicians to direct interested voters to his Web site. Check out his official Web site at this link.
  • The Help America Vote Act was passed after the 2000 Presidential Campaign and provided $4 Million to purchase new voting machines. Read about it i.
  • Read about DREs--computerized voting machines--at this link.
  • Worries about the validity of votes collected with DREs have spawned the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003. Read a Wired Magazine article about the Act here. Read the text of the Act here.
  • Critics of online voting claim that people without Internet access are unfairly restricted from voting. Read an article here.
  • SERVE--the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment--allows overseas US citizens to vote electronically. A security analysis of the SERVE voting system can be reviewed at this link.

Additional Links Want to contact politicians around the world? This link provides a directory of e-mail addresses for politicians in hundreds of countries. Read about a rock band dedicated to promoting ethics in electronic voting in this Wired Magazine article.