So, twenty hours after the polls closed, Gordon Brown is “squatting” in Number 10, Clegg is apparently siding with the Conservatives and in some constituencies they are still counting. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters all over the country were unable to vote and the first-past-the-post system has again left a nasty taste in the mouth of the British public. A reported cost of £40million and the potential for a re-vote… Well that didn’t go so well did it.

Maybe it’s because I grew up on the leading-edge of generation web (by that I don’t mean that I was at the forefront, I just mean that I grew up at the same time the web did), but it still baffles me that to date there is no online voting system. I appreciate there are flaws in a digital system, but no more so than voters being turned away, in the pouring rain because of a lack of ballot forms at a major metropolitan polling station.

So why can’t we have an online, click-my-face-to-vote-for-me system? Is it security? Is it because we can’t guarantee digital inclusion? Is it because of a fear of tampering? Because I for one think these are now very much so, flawed arguments.

Lets start with security. Two weeks ago I received, along with millions of others, my glimmering white polling card. On my polling card was my name, my address and the details of how I was to vote. All presented on an uncovered postcard like card. This “postcard” had come to me through the postal system, uncovered for all to see, and into a post box that is shared by, from my estimation, at least fifty people. So on rolls May 6th, or as I like to call it, yesterday. It was a day like any other, I got up as normal, left my house and went straight to the local polling station, polling card in hand. I walked through the front doors, handed over my polling card to the lady who had the look of someone who knew that they were in for a long day. She checked a list of names, I got my ballot paper, and I voted. There was no ID check, no fingerprint scan, and the bit that upset me the most, there was no frisking. So let me ask you, where is the security in that? What is there that stops me from voting for someone else, with their card? Or perhaps imagine that one of the people that share my post box was a foreign national and as such unable to vote. What if they were to take my card and use my right to vote? It is well within the British technological capabilities to implement a system that equals, if not betters this level of faux security.

Why not send sealed envelopes with unique pin codes similar to what banks do with debit card pin numbers. Voters could log on to a site, enter their pin, make their vote and return to watching the telly before the ads return to Coronation Street. Even better, integrate the whole thing with the BBC’s red button. “Digital viewers push the red button to decide the future of your country for the next five years”. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it.

Another point I’d like to make is that by using a Digital voting system we can make it as transparent or opaque as it needs to be. Make it transparent, increase the integrity of the vote. Something goes wrong, we can track it the whole way back. The vote become spoiled? Lets roll it back a few hours to when we know it wasn’t and then email those who need to re-vote.

So, next on my hit-list was digital inclusion. To this, I have two answers. Firstly, augment the existing polling stations with online voting, don’t replace it. Use it to ease the footfall through polling stations and town halls the country over. Allow the digitally adept to make use of the tools they find at their finger tips nearly every waking moment. At the risk of sounding vulgar, it rather appeals to me to vote for certain candidates while using my iPhone on the toilet. Online voting even has the potential to increase the vote turnout. Those citizens that grew up and live their lives with what is rapidly becoming ubiquitous technology could argue that it is now they who are being excluded. The generation web-ers can’t participate in a way that is natural to them and is that not the same argument that is used the other way around? Secondly, I believe that the web, social networks and mobile technology are growing up. In March last year I read an article about how Facebook was growing up. In the article it states that the fastest growing age group on Facebook was now women over 55. My Grandmother, now well into her late 70’s (possibly into her early 80’s but don’t judge me for not knowing exactly) is a prolific user of the internet and social media. Her partner at the moment, she met him online, through a social network. This is not a limited case either. There are cases of Online Social Networks being used to reduce the feeling of isolation in the elderly living alone. So I would perhaps venture, hopefully not out of place, that the gap between young and old and how well they are digitally represented is closing. God forbid my Grandmother reaches the stage where she is immobile, but if she does would a click-and-vote system not be easier and more cost effective for all those involved?

So how would taking the vote online help the world that exist offline? Well the first thing that springs to mind is that we could have an immediate outcome. The polling stations could close, a few buttons pressed, cogs turned and badda bing we have a winner. Or not as today has shown. Need a recount? Push the button and turn the cogs again. Hey presto. I am being flippant about it but it’s true, digitised data is easy to collate, manipulate and present. Digitising the data also reduces the costs involved, polling stations could be reduced. Costs of printing, staffing or even the dreaded millions to be spent on a re-vote could all be avoided or at least reduced.

So where do I think this leaves us? Well perhaps a little electoral innovation would help the country go a long way. Perhaps Mandelson’s vision of a Digital Britain leading the world as a Digital Economy superstar should have a fully working click-to-vote system as the jewel in its crown. But don’t get me wrong, that is not an endorsement for Mandelson or the Digital Economy Bill.

So, like hundreds of other disgruntled Digital Britain Citizen I’ve been poking and prodding around the issue of the Digital Economy Bill. The more I read, the more I dislike.

While trawling through the “tinternet” I found Open Right Group‘s “Email you candidates“. This contact form, complete with suitable “I’m not so happy with your behavior right now…” letter enables you to email your local area candidates and give them a little bit of a grilling to find out where they stand. So I did. To my surprise, and some might even venture shock, I had an email from a candidate within an hour and way past the watershed too. This is the reply I received. Short, but still a reply.

Dear Richard

Thank you for your email.

This is an issue that has been raised with me many times and it is a real cause for concern.  As you say there was little debate and the consequences of the DE Act could lead to swingeing repercussions for web-users.  Had I had the opportunity I would have supported Tom Watson MP, who campaigned against the DE Act, and I am more than happy to commit to attending a meeting organised by Eric Joyce on this issue.

Standing by my principles is important to me also.

I hope that this is helpful?

Kind regards

Clive Grunshaw

Call me skeptical but I do wonder how quick the reply would have been if we were not in the week leading up to a General Election? It is however appreciated.

Clive is the Lancaster and Fleetwood Labour candidate for the coming election. In the interest of fairness, when/if I get replies from the other candidates I’ll post them too.

With the recent world events and current feeling of unrest and political disbelief, it seems odd to me that only 5% of MP’s would bother to show up and debate the passing of the Digital Economies Bill (#DEBill). This is a bill that has the potential to stifle creativity and induce restrictions over the very connectivity that Digital Britain needs. Repercussions will ripple far further than the Digital Creative community.

The controversial “Clause 18″ which would have enabled the government to block sites, was replaced with a slightly sugar coated version. “Clause 8″ which allows the Secretary of State for Business to block any sight deemed to be infringing, about to infringe or has infringed on copyright material in the past, if deemed so by the court. However unlikely, Google could be deemed

Many a finger bashing “thrill seeking” teenager might be shocked to learn that “Clause 41″ and “Clause 42″ of the DEBill have the potential to censor video that may be deemed violent. Not so relaxed about it now, huh? But I wouldn’t worry too much… This law might take months to pass. At least you have the summer for any extra gory titles to release. But say your more of an online gamer, then these laws could have a much more encompassing grasp than you might think. With cooperating ISP’s and publishers DRM’s look set to get tighter and tighter.

The impending General Election will surely not be a run away affair for any one in the now three horse race. So it seems rather odd to me that politicians would so readily alienate themselves from such a large section of society as the “digitratti”.

The vote was won by Government 189 votes to 47.

So, before you take your vote on the 6th, why not take a look and see if your MP bothered to show up and vote. Either way odds are, they probably didn’t attend the two hour debate.

Numerous website hacked together by feverishly working exasperated techies have sprung up over the following week, many of them within hours. Here are a few of them:

http://www.votethemout.co.uk/

For the record, my MP didn’t vote… “My MP Ben Wallace didn’t vote on the #DEBill”

See how your MP voted

and email your local candidate to see what their views are: http://bit.ly/emailyourcandidates

Not sure who to vote for? Why not let vote match help you decide…

The elections this year are shaping up to be a close run affair. News “sound bites”, flyers, brochures and radio only help to muddy the political spectrum. VoteMatch asks a series of questions around political stand points and ideals, then tells you, in percentage terms, who you should vote for… Now all we need is a “click here to vote” button.