Additional Benefits

1. Preventing Ballot Stuffing

Each encrypted vote can be attributed to a distinct registered voter, enabling a comprehensive audit of the entire voter roll. This approach significantly strengthens protection against potential ballot stuffing incidents.

2. Enhancing Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities

SIV excels in accommodating voters with disabilities by allowing secure voting from the convenience of their personal devices. This eliminates the necessity to visit polling stations or drop boxes. Adhering to W3C Standards, SIV builds upon decades of progress in digital accessibility.

By utilizing their own devices in the comfort of their homes, voters with disabilities can benefit from customized accessibility features such as text-to-speech, larger font sizes, high contrast mode, and various other options tailored to their needs.

3. Faster Election Results

SIV facilitates the swift and efficient tabulation and publication of voting results. Outcomes can be accessible within mere seconds of the voting period's conclusion. Although this offers unparalleled speed and transparency, it is crucial to allow sufficient time for necessary remediation procedures before declaring final victors in large-scale elections.

Regardless of election size, SIV presents a considerable advantage in expediting the overall voting process.

4. Budget Savings

According to a report produced by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (opens in a new tab), amongst others, the cost of conducting elections has been shown to range from $2 billion to $6 billion yearly.

Preliminary assessments have shown that the implementation of SIV can result in a substantial decrease in costs, with reductions of between 80% and 90%.

Therefore, the implementation of Secure Internet Voting (SIV) has the potential to significantly decrease these costs, saving billions of dollars of taxpayer funds.

5. Time Savings for Voters

SIV considerably streamlines the voting process, offering both speed and efficiency for voters. By casting their ballots through SIV, voters can receive almost instantaneous confirmation of receipt, in stark contrast to the time-consuming nature of traditional paper-based methods that necessitate mailing and return of physical ballots.

This acceleration of the voting process not only expedites the overall experience but also instills immediate confidence in voters, reassuring them that their vote has been received and acknowledged.

6. Spoiler-Resistant Voting Methods

SIV currently supports Plurality Voting, Block Voting, and Approval Voting, with additional methods being incorporated upon request.

Digital voting significantly simplifies the adoption of these advanced voting techniques, providing immediate feedback and automatically safeguarding voters from inadvertently invalidating their ballots.

7. Streamlining Public Record Management

Numerous election clerks have reported being overwhelmed by public record requests. SIV inherently generates end-to-end verifiable elections, effectively eliminating the need for such requests in the future and significantly reducing the administrative burden.

8. Expanding Language Translations

SIV enhances the voting process by making use of unprecedented language accessibility tools for voters. Operating within web browsers, SIV enables seamless integration with translation tools capable of accommodating hundreds of languages, thereby fostering an inclusive and accessible voting environment.

By promoting broader language support, SIV encourages wider participation in the democratic process while alleviating the burden on Election Administrators in determining the necessary ballot translations.

9. Boosting Voter Turnout

Secure Internet Voting (SIV) has the potential to boost voter turnout by overcoming various barriers to participation in elections:

• Convenience: SIV enables voting from anywhere using preferred devices, eliminating the need for traveling to polling stations and waiting in lines, thus appealing to a broader range of voters.

• Flexibility: SIV supports various voting methods, such as ranked-choice or approval voting, reducing voter apathy by offering meaningful choices and empowering voters.

• Accessibility: SIV enhances accessibility for individuals with disabilities through personalized settings, ensuring an inclusive voting experience.

• Security and Confidence: SIV's end-to-end verifiable elections allow voters to personally verify their votes, fostering trust and motivating participation.

• Reduced Administrative Burdens: Streamlining the voting process, SIV eases the management of elections, leading to a smoother experience that encourages higher turnout.

10. Empowering Expatriates and Military Personnel

For many overseas and military voters, current practices require relinquishing their ballot privacy, as their quickest option is often to send vote selections via email or fax, which are then "duplicated" by an election official.

SIV makes the electoral process more accessible for citizens living or working abroad. By enabling them to vote securely, privately, and easily from any location, SIV strengthens their connection to their home country and recognizes their ongoing contributions to society.

11. Pandemic-Proof Voting

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need for alternative voting methods due to health risks associated with in-person voting. Mail-in ballots, while helpful, can face issues like postal delays, and lost or damaged ballots. SIV, with its security features and remote accessibility, ensures elections can proceed safely during emergencies or health crises, minimizing disruption and public health risks.

12. Heightened Resilience During Extreme Weather

Secure Internet Voting is can be a vital resource during natural calamities, such as powerful storms, as it ensures citizens can vote safely from their homes or shelters. There are countless examples of polling places needing to close due to extreme weather. Some big examples include Hurricane Sandy during the 2012 presidential election and historic flooding in Louisiana in fall 2016. Small scale cases happen nearly every year somewhere within the US.

Offering online voting as an additional option minimizes the need for physical polling stations and reduces the strain on emergency services during a crisis. Additionally, it enhances the electoral process's resilience, prevents the postponement or cancellation of elections, and can encourages higher participation among those unwilling to leave their homes due to safety concerns.

13. Positive Environmental Impact

Having Secure Internet Voting as an additional option can help reduce paper usage and transportation-related emissions. We can minimize the ecological footprint of elections and contribute to a more sustainable future.