Topics: Privacy & Liberties, Security & Insecurity, Networked World, Elections, Democracy, Politics

This weekend's Sunday Star Ledger (Newark,NJ USA) had an article "A high-tech way to skirt the laws on campaigning". The way to skirt the laws restricting political campaigning at polling places is text messaging. The article starts with this scenario and question:

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Imagine you're walking into the voting booth, or your precinct's equivalent, on Election Day and suddenly your cell phone signals an incoming text message. Your candidate, the message says, has been indicted on some outrageous charge.

Do you rethink your voting intentions or ignore the message?
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Personally, I wouldn't answer my cell phone in when I am voting.  Even If I did looking at the message, I'd be suspicious of such a message. At the very least, I'd check other sources.

The issue of the potential last minute political pitches via text messaging is an interesting one to ponder. But is it really a serious threat to the democratic process?

I doubt it.  At least, not for the simple political adverts being pushed to the voting public.

Perhaps, some significant risk could eventually emerge whereby buying votes could be done by using a cell phone cam video as the proof of one's choices. (one of the reasons for the privacy of votes in many places is to discourage vote selling/buying by eliminating a way for the buyer to know how the vote was cast.) Even then, the electronic trail would be extensive and a liability for the participants.

Still the article raises the all familiar reminder that various laws have not kept up well with technological changes.

J.D. Abolins