What are the benefits of online voting?

Benefits of online voting

In a democracy, voting is an integral part of citizen life. In a similar way to central aspects of our daily lives, like the way we consume  news or communicate with each other, voting can be made easier and more efficient with the help of digital solutions.

 

What is online voting?

Also known as electronic voting or e-voting, online voting is the practice of handling the electoral process with the aid of online technology. Online voting developments can provide voters with a fast and secure digital voting environment to ensure the entire population can have their voices heard.

Online voting is gaining worldwide popularity, with countries like Estonia and Switzerland holding online voting trials for presidential elections and referendums. Online voting systems are also growing in popularity for municipal elections in countries such as Canada, France, and the United States. Electronic voting machines are becoming commonplace in every continent (source).

 

What are the leading benefits of online voting?

The main benefits of online voting are the cost-effective and efficient counting of ballots, and the accessibility of voting for disabled and disenfranchised populations. Remote online voting can save time, money, and effort for both the voters and the organizers of elections. 

 

Voting made easy

The goal of online voting systems is to provide a prime voting experience in order to incentivize more people to vote. The best way to do this is by supplying voters with a simple electoral process, with instructions that are easy to follow regardless of the chosen voting method. 

Instead of requiring voters to travel to a physical location to cast their ballot, they can be offered to vote from the comfort of their smart devices, anywhere they may be.Organizations can even schedule customized alerts to let their members know whenever it is time to vote. Our online voting platform makes it possible for members of an organization to receive information about electoral activities via an SMS message, email, or a call.

Online voting systems

 

A cost-effective solution

All parties involved in the electoral process are financially benefited by online voting adoption. Voter participation is simplified by removing the costs of fuel or other transportation to reach a physical ballot box. Not to mention the amount of time every elector saves by not having to go out to cast a ballot. Research performed on Estonia’s widespread adoption of e-voting methods shows that online voting is the best solution in economic terms (source). 

The deployment of traditional methods of voting requires the manufacturing and transportation of physical ballot boxes and other equipment in tandem with the hiring and training of personnel who will be in charge of monitoring the election process. Moreover, any physical material that is deployed but not put to use can be considered a waste of state or organizational resources.

In contrast, there is minimal use of resources when implementing online voting systems. The deployment costs of online voting platforms are much cheaper than physical voting, and the need to transport and count physical ballots is also removed. The hidden costs of paper, fuel, and man-hours related to traditional voting are all but nonexistent when using an online solution. 

 

Increase voter participation rate

Online voting systems can improve voter participation rate by providing an easily-accessible alternative to going out to cast a ballot. Voters who reside far away from polling areas are no longer limited by the distance and people who would otherwise  be unable to vote due to time constraints have a fast way to be part of the electoral process. 

Even individuals who have a disability that hinders their ability to vote can be given a clear channel to participate in elections. This has the potential of allowing disenfranchised populations who have had difficulties engaging in politics to be able to have their voices heard for the first time. 

 

Customizable online voting systems

State-of-the-art voting solutions like the option.vote platform include a variety of options to guarantee the voting process fulfills the needs of any organization. Not only can election organizers choose between various voting methods, but they also have a choice of languages, branding options, alerts, reminders, monetization, and much more.

 

Advanced technology creates simple solutions

A common voting method used by the first democracies was based on voters placing small balls or pebbles inside a jar representing the party of their choice, later to be counted by hand. Traditional voting methods of the modern age are not that different, as they replace pebbles with paper slips and jars with ballot boxes. 

However, thanks to recent technological developments, online voting can give a new perspective to elections. Data and insights can be analyzed and displayed by the platform in real-time giving organizers a complete view of the process, including the participation rate. Once the elections are over, organizers can have automatic access to the results at the click of a button, with advanced demographic filters to look at the results from any relevant angle. 

 

Voting on a safe platform

Voting is crucial for the functioning of a democracy, hence the need to be handled with the best security measures. A multi-level verification process native to the option.vote platform can eliminate the chances of fraudulent activity by using unique PINs and encrypted data. The purpose of this approach is to properly verify the identification of voters without infringing on their anonymity.

Network security must be designed to remain stable and high-performing during the duration of elections. For example, fraudulent traffic towards the option.vote platform is dealt with by secure networks composed of multiple algorithms tasked with monitoring and blocking traffic of dubious origin. Additionally, the whole election process is completely transparent and easily auditable from top to bottom. 

 

option.vote voting system for all industries

 

Stronger unions

Option.vote has been working alongside unions for more than a decade. Thanks to option.vote, union members can easily cast their votes from their smart device of choice and whenever they want to. Online.vote is available to union members on their phones, their tablets, and their personal computers.

 

Secure and reliable high-profile elections

High-profile elections require a system that can provide reliability while also being easily auditable. Working together with world-class auditors like EY, Deloitte, and RCGT, option.vote guarantees the transparency of online elections held using the online voting platform.

Every person voting on option.vote can rest easy knowing their privacy is protected. Data generated by the voting process is kept in highly secured data centers, creating an environment that transmits confidence in the institution of voting. Adopters of the platform can expect full turnkey services and support while elections are being held. 

 

Associations and other institutions

Online voting and paper ballot elections have a very different price tag, and the cost-effectiveness of online voting is very appealing to associations who have a smaller budget to allocate to their voting needs. A multi-method voting system can also help gather insights on the demographics of an organization without compromising the personal identity of any member.

 

A versatile online voting platform for everyone

Option.vote is the definite solution for all kinds of voting needs. The election platform’s versatility works in highly diverse environments and contexts. From live TV variety shows to large-scale elections, option.vote’s flexibility makes it the preferred voting platform in Canada. 

Entrepreneurs looking forward to using voting capabilities in tandem with their products and services can even make money when using the platform. Billing capabilities can be added to option.vote’s framework, allowing elections on entertainment-based platforms to be monetized. Furthermore, real-time statistics can help measure participation rates and keep track of votes, all from the access of an intuitive dashboard.

 

The online voting solution

Option.vote is Canada’s leading online voting platform, built with a commitment to provide a safe, organized, and intuitive environment for voters and an equal chance of representation. Powered by major Canadian telecommunications player VoxTel, every aspect of option.vote’s online electoral process is designed with innovation in mind.

Request a proposal