I thought that it was very interesting that Estonia is going to allow voting via mobile phone in 2011. Apparently users will plug some sort of chip into their phone, verify their identity and then be able to vote. I have to wonder just how secure this is going to be. The head of security for this states

The system and software have proven effective and reliable in an independent security audit, Kaidro said. He dismissed security concerns, claiming the system “is the most secure way to authenticate digital signatures.”

Of course, what this doesn’t address is voter fraud. How exactly does this prevent people from selling their votes, or in this case, their chips? Yet, I have to wonder if something like this could be implemented here in the United States? It would definitely make voting easier and likely increase participation. Imagine being able to turn on your phone and vote in a few minutes from anywhere. The possibilities are endless, I can imagine myself on a remote beach and voting for my state Rep.

I have to question why the US has not tested a set up like this. It is interesting that we are so interested in preventing voter fraud but are more than willing to elect Governors and other politicians that flaunt the law and think they can get away with it. It seems to me they would be the ones most likely to try to manipulate votes, and yet they are in office already. Which begs to question, ” how much worse can a mobile phone voting system be?”