Students Should Use Caution When Voting Online

Living in a world of convenience, we’ve grown accustomed to doing everything online. From checking grades to ordering textbooks and even earning a degree, there’s not much you can’t do online. Voting has even come out of the dark ages and people in 33 states are able to cast their ballots online, through fax or via email. Just imagine being able to take a few minutes and vote in the privacy of your own home when it’s convenient for you. You don’t even have to leave the house. Unfortunately, with all things done online, there are some kinks to be worked out.
Hackers have already proven they are able to get into the voting systems and alter results. This proves to be a big problem when people are deciding on elected officials. The systems that are used for online voting are also used for voting in other countries, but there doesn’t seem to be a proper security measure in place to keep votes safe. The vulnerability of the security for internet voting was discovered during a trial-run in September for Washington, DC.
When a team of computer scientists from the University of Michigan got hold of the system, they were able to break into it, change passwords, modify ballots and even make the system play their school fight song. The computer scientists had taken control of the system within 36 hours.
Right now, the problems with the system cannot be fixed, so students need to think about that. These problems with online voting definitely jeopardize any votes that are cast online. Although it may seem convenient, online voting is not yet secure and should be avoided. Online voting may be much more reliable in the future and a great way for students and busy people alike to cast their ballot, but for now, traditional voting is the best way to make your vote count.
Via MSNBC