Whether responding to a CNN.com survey or voting for the NFL
All-Pro team, computer users are becoming more and more
comfortable with Internet polls. Computer use in the United
States continues to grow—more than half of all American
households now have a personal computer. The next question,
then, becomes obvious. Should Americans be able to use the
Internet in the most important polls of all? Some advocates of
Internet voting argue that Americans are well suited to casting
their ballots online in political elections. They are eager to
make use of new technology, and they have relatively broad
access to the Internet. Voting would become easier for people
stuck at home, at the office, or on the road. Internet voting
might encourage greater political participation among young
adults, a group that stays away from the polling place in
droves. It would hold special appeal for military personnel
overseas, whose ability to vote is a growing concern. There are
serious concerns, however, regarding computer security an