The Internet is a worldwide network of computers accessible by anyone with the necessary technology. It is used for electoral purposes in a variety of ways.
The Internet evolved from a range of computer networks developed in the 1960s and 1970s by the United States Department of Defense, various universities and other institutions. By the 1990s, the Internet had evolved into a global network facilitating access to vast information and enabling electronic communication and commerce.
The Internet consists of an immense network of computers connected by phone lines and, increasingly, by faster and more reliable “broadband” lines, including wireless media. Cabling and transmission options are quickly advancing, offering convenient, faster and affordable Internet access. Computers are connected to these lines via communication adapters, the most common example of these are modems.
Most Internet users employ two main features, the World Wide Web and electronic mail, or email.
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web consists of a global network of computers, each one offering services or data, called websites. These websites contain interconnected “pages” of data in the form of text, still pictures, moving video and animation, and sound. Consequently, websites can provide information using a variety of delivery techniques, unlike traditional books, videos or audiotapes, which are more static and offer limited search facilities. For this reason, websites and CD-ROM programs that have the same features as websites are described as “multimedia”.
Multimedia programs contain “hyperlinks” that enable the user to navigate through the pages of data. Users can follow items of interest, rather than be locked into a sequential progression of information as in a book or video. Internet hyperlinks facilitate navigation within the same website or from one website to another, providing flexible access to information.
Simple websites are created using a programming language called hypertext mark-up language (HTML). Websites are accessed via computer programs called web browsers (Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari and others), which are widely available for little or no cost. Websites that service many hundreds or thousands of users, offering more advanced data and multimedia services are increasingly programmed in languages such as PHP, Java and others, using and following two major architectural paths. Net from Microsoft, and J2EE (Java 2nd Enterprise Edition), which is an open source software.
Most website documents are imaged and viewed by a program called Adobe Acrobat, which uses the “PDF” format. The advantage of the tools listed above (HTML, Java, Adobe Acrobat and web browsers) is that they can be run on most computing devices that are increasingly portable and wireless, expanding access to World Wide Web.
Each page in a website is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL), a unique electronic address that enables its access from web browsers via the Internet. The first words in URLs are called “domain” and they have become a standard part of the corporate identity of many businesses, and government and non-government agencies. Indeed some Internet specific businesses are known only by their domain name. The domain of the ACE Project is www.aceproject.org.
Uses of the Internet
Here are some points to keep in mind when designing and maintaining an electoral website:
- Designing a website is not the same as designing a book or a brochure. Some elements of print design do not work well on screen and websites are much more flexible than print.
- Keep download times to a minimum. Do not use complicated pictures or graphics that take a long time to download, as many users will leave your site rather than wait.
- Let users navigate quickly. Do not make users wade through irrelevant information to get to what they need.
- Keep language brief and simple, except where there is a clear need for more complex information.
- Keep your website up-to-date. Websites are now an element of the public face of many electoral authorities and out-of-date websites lack credibility.
- Give a staff member or work unit clear responsibility for maintaining the website.
- Try to use standard website conventions, such as recognizable hyperlinks, clear site maps and other conventional navigation methods. Users will find your site easier to navigate if they do not have to learn new rules just for your site.
- Make sure your website is usable on all common hardware and software platforms. Some designs do not work well on all platforms.
The Internet is both a passive and an active medium. Passive uses focus on communication of information, via still and moving images and sound, where the user simply receives information. Active uses involve two-way communication, where the users can relay information to the providers and vice versa. Active uses include email, on-line commerce and on-line information sharing, such as electronic voting or voter registration.
Many electoral authorities now have websites. In countries where significant numbers of electoral users have access to the Internet, electoral websites have become an integrated part of the service delivery strategy of electoral authorities.
Websites are an excellent way to convey large amounts of information to users. Traditional communication methods such as newspapers, brochures, radio and television are only able to carry limited amounts of electoral information. Electoral authorities can now greatly expand their information delivery capabilities by including references to their websites in their advertising. Websites can be structured to deliver as little or as much information as the user desires.
In addition to delivering information, electoral websites can also be interactive. Users can complete transactions on-line, such as applying for electoral enrolment or voting in elections. Forms can be completed on-line, such as campaign finance disclosure returns, or forms can be downloaded for printing on the user's printer and returned by mail (particularly where a user's hardcopy signature is required).
Election results can be progressively broadcast “live” on websites, as they are counted on and after election night. By the end of the 1990s, some electoral authorities were beginning to replace “physical” tally rooms with “virtual” tally rooms on their websites (for example, the Australian Electoral Commission did this with its 1999 referendum on amending the Australian Constitution).
Election results in spreadsheet or database form can also be made available on websites. Academics, journalists and other researchers can download this data for their own use.
Websites are also useful for publishing election campaign finance data, which in some jurisdictions can cover many hundreds or thousands of pages. Database technology can be used to interrogate this data on-line so as to extract particular items of interest from the vast amount of information provided.
Websites can also be developed for use inside an organisation. Internal networks, called intranets, function in much the same way as the Internet, but access is only provided to authorized users. Intranets used by electoral authorities can include internal resources, such as staff lists, user manuals, training programs, on-line electoral rolls and databases.
Website design
Website design is crucial to the operation of a website. Internet users are well known for their intolerance of websites that are slow to download or hard to understand or navigate. There are many books and Internet sites available that aim to teach good website design. As a relatively new communication medium, website design is an evolving discipline.
Electoral authorities can choose to have their websites set up and maintained by professional web designers, or they can develop and maintain their websites in-house. There are advantages and disadvantages to both choices. External designers are more likely to produce a professional result but may cost more and be slower to respond to update requests than in-house designers. On the other hand, in-house designers may not have the skills of professional designers, but they may cost less and be better able to update the site quickly and accurately.
Internet security
Internet security is a crucial issue for electoral authorities providing on-line transactions with clients, particularly on-line voting. Security is also important for email systems where sensitive information may be transmitted. Even simple websites should be protected from unauthorised changes, such as deletion or alteration of web pages or redirection of users to inappropriate off-site URLs.
Internet security is a complex field that is constantly evolving as the Internet develops and Internet “hackers” find new ways of attacking websites. Electoral authorities should consult Internet security professionals for the latest strategies available to them.
There are some general security strategies:
- Encrypt data so that only the sender and the receiver are able to decipher the information.
- Protect websites so that unauthorised users are not able to change data.
- Provide secure websites that prevent outsiders from accessing data being transmitted.
