In an age where people can transfer money using their mobile device, it’s not hard to envision a future where citizens wake up on Election Day, pull out their phones and choose the next leader of the free world on the way to work. A federal election agency took a small step toward that futuristic vision. The Election Assistance Commission, a body created in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election, approved a measure to update the guidelines against which manufacturers test electronic voting machines to make sure they are secure and accessible. “The guidelines we have now are so old that the iPhone hadn’t even come out when they were written,” said Election Assistance Commission Chairwoman Christy McCormick. The updated guidelines will allow manufacturers to test machines against modern security and disability standards and get them certified for use by states ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Can you vote for the next president on your smartphone? Not just yet. | Benton Foundation
