Online voting may be a click away for ASUA

ASUA President Tara Taylor said yesterday she plans to investigate the possibility of online ballots for future elections - maybe for use in February's election.

"It (electronic voting) would definitely have an impact," said Taylor, who came up with the idea after noting a higher voter turnout at Stanford University, which offers the online system. "I'd rather vote online."

About 10 percent of UA students vote "on a good day," where 62 percent of Stanford undergraduates participated in last year's election, Taylor said.

The number of students who voted in Stanford's last election out-numbered those at the University of Arizona by about 2,000, though the UA had about 16,400 more eligible voters than the private school.

Mike Levin, Stanford Associated Students' deputy Senate chairman, said their online voting system has been a success since it was imple-mented five years ago.

"It's been a great system," Levin said. "We get fewer than 10 percent of our ballots by conventional methods."

Taylor said ASUA plans to ask Stanford if it could purchase its online voting program or if the school would give it to the UA.

Stanford Associated Students consider selling or giving the online voting technology to UA, provided the election processes are similar, Levin said.

Although Stanford and Brigham Young University in Utah are the only major universities using the online system, "there's going to be an ongoing trend of universities doing this," Levin added.

ASUA Elections Commissioner Anthony Hill called online voting a "def-inite possibility."

"With these other schools taking the lead, hopefully it will be easier for us," he said.

If an online program isn't registering votes by February's elections, the new system will likely be implemented next year, Taylor said.

With an online voting system, ASUA would create a Web site for students to enter a unique identification number and cast votes, said ASUA adviser Jim Drnek.

"It makes it a lot easier for people to vote," Drnek said. "We would see it (voting participation) skyrocket significantly."

Stanford has had no problems with the system and security has not been a concern, Levin said.

"We've branched out. Our student government does a large amount of publicity on the Internet," he said.

Psychology senior Shefali Gandhi, a volunteer for last year's ASUA elections, said the plan would increase voter turnout.

"It (voting) would be so easy," Gandhi said. "It's easier than hiking all over the place to find a booth. They (ASUA) have a hard time finding volunteers."

Taylor was optimistic about the new system, but said she still does not expect 100 percent voter turnout.

"You're still going to have a number of people who don't want to vote," Taylor said. "But it allows it (voting) to be more accessible to students."

Erin Mahoney can be reached via e-mail at Erin.Mahoney@wildcat.arizona.edu.