Report of the national workshop on internet voting: issues and research agenda

The Internet Policy Institute (IPI) is the nation's first independent, nonprofit research and educational institute created exclusively to provide objective, high-quality analysis and outreach on economic, social and policy issues affecting and affected by the global development and use of the Internet. IPI is nonpartisan and does not lobby or otherwise actively advocate or represent the interests of businesses, associations, policy makers or others. A primary role for the Institute is as a forum for independent research, discussion, debate, and consensus building. Park is a public research university, the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland, and the original 1862 land grant institution in Maryland. The University of Maryland is committed to achieving excellence as the state's primary center for research and graduate education and as the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability. The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, Va., is a nonpartisan, international foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The foundation focuses on four main priorities: the Newseum, First Amendment issues, newsroom diversity and world press freedom. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $4.5 nillion. NSF funds reach all 50 states, through grants to about 1,600 universities and institutions nationwide. Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding awards. The Internet Policy Institute presents this publication as a useful contribution to public discourse. The findings, interpretations and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the staff of the Internet Policy Institute or its Board of Directors. Preface A s use of the Internet in commerce, education and personal communication has become common, the question of Internet voting in local and national elections naturally arises. In addition to adding convenience and precision, some believe that Internet voting may reverse the historical and downward trend of voter turnout in the United States. For these reasons President Clinton issued a memorandum in December 1999 requesting that the National Science Foundation examine the feasibility of online (Internet) voting. As a consequence, the Internet Policy Institute along with the University of Maryland conducted an NSF-sponsored workshop on October 11 and 12, 2000. Held less than a month before the national election, the …