Opponents of online voting in the United States have seen a lot of success when it has come to poisoning the conversation about whether we should be voting using digital methods or whether we should remain in the dark ages of paper ballots. The proof of their success is in the pudding. Many states have turned from mechanical and digital voting methods back to optically scanned paper ballots as a result of the strong, well-organized efforts by “voting integrity” groups who would prefer that we vote on paper forever.
Yes, the “paper worshippers” have been quite successful. Their successful tactics have included a portrayal of online voting advocates as an also well-organized group who are trying to push us prematurely into digital voting. This way supporters of digital voting are seen as naive yet determined, and something to be opposed.
In fact there is no organization of digital voting advocates. There never has been. All of the organization, funding, media connections, and government influence exists on the side of the detractors. Those of us who fight for voter access are VERY small in number.
In fact I began this blog and my own efforts when I realized how one-sided this battle has been. Advocates needed more voices, so I added mine.
I devoted a previous post to an introduction to Dr. William Kelleher, who has stood for digital voting LITERALLY alone for a number of years against this well organized opposition. Despite talking about “groups who push for online voting”, Dr. Kelleher still gets portrayed by detractors as alone, as a “one man show”, portrayals that are part of a pattern of marginalization that is done to anybody who dares to oppose this group.
Well, I was proud to join Bill Kelleher in his advocacy. But to no surprise the marginalization strategy has been focused on me many times since doing so.
But Bill and I are not alone either. There are others who are realizing that the conversation over voter access in a digital world must be more balanced. There are others who are willing to put their energies into seeing that happen.
As Dr. Kelleher has recently done on his blog, Internet Voting For All, I would like to welcome IVoteUS.org to “our side”.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome another “IVote”, IVoteUS.com.
Welcome to the conversation IVoteUS.com and IVote-usa.org!
We are now a still small, but rapidly growing group of advocates who only ask for a balanced conversation about one of our most important issues.