Westborough Switches to E-Voting
Last week, the Town of Westborough, Massachusetts, made the decision to permanently authorize the use of electronic voting in open town meetings. This decision followed a second trial use testing the effectiveness of the proposed electronic voting system.
Westborough first tested electronic voting during their annual town meeting last October. Town Moderator Joe Harrington stated last year that the electronic keypads are “simpler than your TV remote.”
The two “test drives” gave the town and its voters a chance to decide whether or not electronic voting was a good fit. Previously, open town meetings in Westborough used traditional voting voice votes or a show of hands. The town leaders realized that a lack of privacy makes some voters uncomfortable.
The electronic voting system consists of wireless keypads that have an ID number to protect the user’s identity. Westborough hopes electronic voting will increase the number of voters attending town meetings by guaranteeing each person’s voting privacy.
The wireless devices used for voting are secure. Voters still need to be present to participate. The system is not connected to the internet or WiFi access points and cannot be accessed outside of the meeting. Votes are transmitted from each voting using a radio system that is encrypted. Several layers of security are used.
After their most recent meeting, the voters in Westborough decided to adopt the electronic voting process permanently, becoming the second town of Massachusetts to take this step. Wayland was the first town in the state to implement the new approach. When the new fiscal year starts in July, the Westborough will move forward using the electronic voting for all their open town meetings.
3 key Advantages of Electronic Voting in open town meetings
- Privacy: Each keypad uses a unique ID that allows for each participant to cast their vote independently and anonymously. This encourages people to attend and vote without alienating friends and neighbors.
- Time: Electronic voting can reduce the amount of time it takes to cast, count, and tabulate each vote, leaving more time to focus on discussion and debate.
- Accuracy: Electronic keypads reduce the chance for miscounting votes by hand, and instead use secure technology to accurately record and verify each vote.
