The internet - the world-wide network of computers accessible by anyone with the necessary technology - can be used for electoral purposes in a variety of ways.
Some of the electoral applications of the internet include:
- Publishing information for voters, candidates, the media and other clients
- Electronic voting
- Email
- Voter registration
- On-line commerce
- Election results publishing
- Campaign finance reporting and disclosure
- In-house intranets
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 blossomed into a global network containing a vast amount of information, as well as facilitating electronic communication and commerce.
The internet consists of a vast network of computers connected by standard telephone lines and dedicated data lines. These telephone and data lines can be metal cables, fibre-optic cables, or microwave or satellite links. Computers are connected to these data lines by hardware devices called modems.
For most users of the internet, it is comprised of two main features: the World Wide Web, and electronic mail, or email.
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web consists of a network of files stored on computers around the world called web sites. A web site is a series of interconnected 'pages' of data. Web sites can contain text, still pictures, moving video and animation, and sound. Consequently web sites can provide information using a variety of delivery techniques, unlike traditional books, videos or audio tapes, which are by their nature more static and linear. For this reason, web sites, and CD-ROM programs that have the same features as web sites, are described as 'multimedia'.
A significant aspect of multimedia programs is their ability to let the user navigate through the pages of data using 'hyperlinks'. Users can choose to follow items of interest, rather than be locked into a linear progression of information as in a book or video. Internet hyperlinks can allow users to navigate within the same web site, or from one web site to another, allowing the user great flexibility.
Web sites are created using a simple programming language called hypertext markup language (HTML), and users access web sites using computer programs called web browsers, which are widely available for little or no cost. More advanced multimedia features can also be programmed in Java computer language. Documents can be imaged and downloaded using a program called Adobe Acrobat. The advantage enjoyed by HTML, Java, Adobe Acrobat and web browsers is that they can be run on any type of modern computer, so that the World Wide Web can be accessed by users regardless of their computer hardware or software.
Every page on every web site is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL), an electronic address that enables web browsers to be accessed by anyone using the internet. URLs 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 URL name. The URL for the ACE Project is 'www.aceproject.org'.
Uses of the Internet
The internet is both a passive and an active medium. Passive uses mainly center around communication of information, using text, images (still and moving) 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 web sites. In countries where significant numbers of electoral users have access to the internet, electoral web sites have become an integrated part of the service delivery strategy of electoral authorities.
Web sites are excellent means of conveying 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 web sites in their advertising. Web sites can be structured to deliver as little or as much information as the user desires.
In addition to delivering information, electoral web sites can also be interactive. Users can complete transactions on-line, such as applying for electoral enrolment or voting in elections (see Electronic/Mechanical Voting Systems). 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 web sites, 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 web sites (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 web sites. Academics, journalists and other researchers can download this data for their own use.
Web sites 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.
Web sites 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 authorised users. Intranets used by electoral authorities can include internal resources such as staff lists, user manuals, training programs, on-line electoral rolls and databases.
Web Site Design
Web site design is crucial to the operation of a web site. Internet users are well known for their intolerance of web sites that are slow to download or hard to understand or navigate. Many books and internet sites are available which aim to teach good web site design. As a relatively new communication medium, web site design is an evolving discipline.
Electoral authorities can choose to have their web sites set up and maintained by professional web designers, or they can develop and maintain their web sites 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.
Here are some points to keep in mind when designing and maintaining an electoral web site:
- Designing a web site is not the same as designing a book or a brochure, as some elements of print design do not work well on screen and web sites 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 get to what they want to know quickly - do not make users wade through irrelevant information to get to what they need
- Keep language brief and simple, except where users clearly want more complex information
- Keep your web site up to date - web sites are now an element of the public face of many electoral authorities and out of date web sites lack credibility
- Give a staff member or work unit clear responsibility for maintaining the web site
- Try to use standard web site conventions, such as recognisable hyperlinks, clear site maps and other conventional navigation methods - users will find your site easier to use if they do not have to learn new rules just for your site
- Make sure your web site is usable on all common hardware and software platforms - some designs do not work well on all platforms
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 web sites 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 web sites. Electoral authorities should consult internet security professionals for the latest strategies available to them.
In general terms, strategies are available to:
- Encrypt data so that only the sender and the receiver are able to decipher the information
- Protect web sites so that unauthorised users are not able to change data
- Provide secure web sites that prevent outsiders from accessing data being transmitted
