Since technology is so advanced, why can’t we still vote by phone?

What comes to mind first when we talk about electronic selection? By indicating our preference from a telephone or a special device and continuing our way? your choices it’s just voting When we think about it, we can fall victim to such misconceptions.

Elections are held with tight security measures to clearly reflect the will of the voters, however they are held. Everything about elections, when your vote is sent electronically -especially safety measures- It must be electronic. While it is perfectly possible to understand security breaches in a physical election environment, observing breaches electronically is a skill or skill that few people possess.

There are actually two ways to make electronic selection. The first of these is electronic but without internet selection:

E-Choice (E-Votes): The first of these is to place kiosk-like devices called kiosks instead of voting booths at points determined by the institution that organized the elections. You only make contact with that device once and the process is over. No box, no internet. Votes entered on these devices can be collected and counted through a private VPN network owned by the regulator.

When we said VPN we have to specify that this network is only private for the institution and it is not the network that can be accessed with the “internet” connection we use today. So this method is sort of legal “deep web” technique is used. So it is extremely safe. You have to go from point A to point B, like the default choices. But no paper, no compass, no envelope, no bag…

Another method allows you to vote online, from your place of residence:

I-Choice (I-Votes): This is probably the first electronic selection method that comes to mind. You can make your choice once with the web page that you enter from an application on your smartphone or via the browser. It doesn’t matter where you are or where you live. Prove that you are a citizen on the login screen, that’s enough.

In fact, we have all the technological infrastructure necessary for both electronic selection methods:

Kiosk technologies are not very new anyway, the point where they have come for years now allows us to solve all the transactions from the ATM without entering any bank branches. Anyone who has millions of TL cash can go to the ATM with a single card, even with a QR code, and buy stocks on the stock exchange with all their money, without a card. In fact, similar to the second method, you can do this whole process. from one mobile app he can.

Banking applications can understand who is trying to access the account, thanks to technologies such as fingerprint or facial recognition. In short, all these technologies that allow us to receive commercial services, While we can entrust all our tangible assets, we cannot entrust our votes..

Voting is not only a personal but also a social responsibility, and its outcomes affect societies before individuals:

In fact the most basic difference between the ATMs and banking applications we use and electronic choices. ideological difference This. If a person reaches your card or phone, they can withdraw all the money in your account, but it will only affect you. That’s why it protects both your card and your phone with passwords, you don’t want to forget them somewhere. Your responsibility is personal, as are the consequences of any crisis.

But the elections? We vote in a booth that even the closest person can’t get into. No one knows who we put the seal on. The choice is so personal and confidential. But the results, involving our voice, affect the whole of society, that is, our own opinion. we have the power to determine the fate of the entire society just… That’s your decision, it’s worth more than the money in your bank accounts (I mean, at least it should be).

If you’re worried that the internet is being hacked and infiltrated everywhere, you’re right. What about blockchain technology?

Everything, including banks, can be hacked. In addition, cybersecurity vulnerabilities don’t show up as clearly as a possible privacy issue, as in the torn vote envelope. For this reason, very few people are trained to detect envelope breaches in the cyber world, it is impossible for everyone to observe the same system for a single election. Let’s say we achieved this, this time it’s an opening no one can guess, without even our soul can change electronic votes.

Against such concerns, there is blockchain technology, which banks have adapted to, but whose existence we owe to cryptocurrencies. The basic logic is that every device in the system registers and approves the movements of all other devices. In other words, there is no central device, the network to which all devices are connected is the center itself. Records can never be deleted or changed.

Everything that goes digital has a weakness, including the blockchain.

By the way, blockchain technology also has its weaknesses. Even the crypto exchanges that most actively use this technology are incurring serious costs to address cybersecurity attacks. However, these costs are continuous and income generating systems are being set up and developed for exchange systems. The cost of the blockchain-based security system put in place by a major cryptocurrency exchange for a digital activity that will end within hours, such as elections; papers, stamps, bills, envelopes, bags and payments to officials much more on.

Another issue related to the blockchain; The fact that the number of technical people who can immediately spot and fix potential threats is much smaller compared to other areas of cybersecurity. Let’s say we set up the world’s most secure blockchain election portal. To fill a gap that could only be noticed at the start of the election, this small number of people to move very fast there is a need.

In addition, the high computing power of blockchain technology to quantum computers Whether it is resistant or not is a big question mark.

Despite all this, is there no electronic election in the world? It was done, but… Here… Looks like it didn’t happen…

Photo of a user who made a mistake in the Welsh internet elections.

There are many elections where voters go to a kiosk and vote electronically in a closed system. United Arab Emirates, India Then the list can get quite long, let’s not tire you with the list of these elections, which are also organized on a state basis in some countries.

However, the most recent election through internet connection; in 2021, United Kingdom country of WalesThe borders are made in the southern part of Australia, whose borders are in Australia. It was ready, but some voters had problems accessing the system. In other words, the result of the election was deemed to be compromised due to the technical issues that had occurred before security doubts arose.

In Kempsey, one of the constituencies, electronic votes were declared null and void and the election was physically repeated. Due to technical problems, the winner of the dubious electronic election lost this time. Due to this critical error, the electronic election plans for 2023 in Wales have also been suspended.

As a result, the answer to the question of why we still don’t vote electronically is: it is by being human. Therefore, we take it easy, and if there is a weakness, we vote with the physical, traditional system that the majority can understand and solve in a short time.