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Election Administration, Electoral Standards,
and the InternetBy Steven Clift
http://www.publicus.net
http://www.dowire.org
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Introduction
• Democracies Online – E-democracy research and speeches across 25
countries: http://publicus.net– Connects over 2700 people across 85 countries via e-
newsletter/blog: http://dowire.org
• E-Democracy.Org– World’s first election information website in 1994– Most comprehensive “one stop” experience before
disintermediation– Direct experience informs this presentation
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Outline
• Fundamental Questions
• New Internet-era Electoral Standards?
• Analysis and Recommendations– Providing information online/best practices– Establishing online legal environment– Monitoring Internet media– Ensuring technological access
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Fundamental Questions
• What is so important about the potential use of the Internet/ICTs that their use will be required by new electoral standards in order to hold “free and fair” elections?
• Based on existing electoral standards, what should be online to promote “free and fair” elections now?
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Proposed Internet-era Standards
• All information (legally public) – produced, compiled, disseminated
or disclosed to implement electoral standards
– must be publicly accessible on the Internet
– in a standard, authoritative format.
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Proposed Internet-era Standards
• Voter privacy must be established to cover all voter actions online – seeking information about political
candidates and issues
– communicating with family, friends and members of private associations about elections or governance
– and voting• Freedom of electronic assembly concept
Information:Analysis and Recommendations
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Provision of Information
• Internet is available “any time, anywhere”
• EMBs (and others) provide great variations in terms of quality
• Reality of “wired”, less “wired” countries – the more wired, the more “must” be online
• Progression of Internet/ICT use by EMBs should be defined and benchmarked
• Opportunity for online community of practice among EMB staff
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Information – Must
• Required of all countries regardless of “wired” status:
– Content demonstrating electoral standards are in action
– Accurate and authoritative content
– Multilingual content (as required by local law)
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Information – Should/Must
• Should be online items becomes “must” when over 50% of the population is online
– Candidate and party links - official registry of sites
– Voter registration - including e-verification of electoral roll status, change of address
– Campaign finance reporting and disclosure systems
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Information – Should/Must
• More should/must content recommendations
– Voter outreach and education programs
– Services and searches – often geographically based
– Campaign regulation information and notifications – including e-alerts
Example:Online Voter Education in South
Korea
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Music Videos from Kids
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Accessibility:Analysis and Recommendations
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Accessibility - Should/Must
• People with disabilities – comply with e-government accessibility policies
• Speakers of minority languages
• Users of different Internet interfaces – database-driven sites adaptable to computer, iTV, PDA, mobile formats
• Users without computer access – reach through intermediary organizations via remote printing, CD-ROM, radio satellite, mobile data
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Access examples• Satellite radio - Data ports for one-way content delivery
– First Voice International has 5% of WorldSpace capacity– Satellite radios have USB ports that connect to computers
Online Legal Environment:Analysis and Recommendations
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Legal Environment Context
• In all countries, moving from analysis and proposals to approval of new laws and/or rules has been extremely difficult
• Cornerstone of complexity – Individuals and unregulated groups can take actions online that appear or are in reality as powerful/influential as those of regulated political groups
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Online Legal Environment
• Identify and re-evaluate campaign regulatory laws in light of Internet – when “normal” online activity of individuals might be
illegal/regulated if lumped in with regulated groups– Freedom of expression, right of secure electronic
assembly
• Establish privacy policies– for EMBs– registry of policies of regulated groups– online media accepting online political ads,
selling/providing “information seeking” information on user to candidates/government – need new political privacy electoral standard
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Online Legal Environment
• Provide defamation and libel guides– Should digital “street corner” conversations be treated
on par with statements on television or newspapers? UN report on exposure to criminal libel
• Right reply– Internet allows less litigious “right of reply,” should it be
a right or obligation to provide during election periods?
• Additional issues– Right to access, use and share political information– Anonymous speech
Online Media Monitoring
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Online Media Monitoring
• As reach of online content grows in a nation, the reasons to independently monitor mass media will extend to the Internet
– Build from academic online content analysis techniques– Monitor surface content of “top 100 web sites” – Research political web trends, stay on top of democracy
building and denying techniques– Monitor government web sites including portals and
inappropriate use of online government resources to support incumbents
– Encourage watchdog groups, including “domestic” and international Internet freedom groups, to aid Internet and elections policy development
Technology:Analysis and Recommendations
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Technological Access
• E-mail for EMB staff is step one
• Wireless– HF Radio E-mail (slow)– Wi-Fi, WiMax options– Satellite two-way (expensive)– Mobile/GPRS
• Localized Content Access – CD-Rom delivery, One-way satellite radio
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Access examples
• Ndiyo – Four terminals using one computer connected to Internet: http://www.ndiyo.org– Pilot in Bangladesh connected by GPRS (GSM mobile
phone)
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Access examples
• HF Radio E-mail (Shortwave ~300 Baud, VHF/UHF to 9600, like first modems)
– Solomon Islands People First Network connects island e-mail terminals cost effectively via e-mail over radio (not expensive satellite): http://www.peoplefirst.net.sb
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Open Source Tools
• Cost-effectiveness through collaborative open source initiatives. Some ideas:
– Multi-lingual CMS (content management system) for developing non-partisan online and print voter guides
• Distributed content input via the web from local EMB offices, candidates, parties, universities, NGOs, and others
• Controlled editing of source materials for broad use and distribution
• Project coordination
– Handheld field operation software for electronic voter registration, voter roll verification
– Mobile SMS reporting of election law violations
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Online Community of Practice
• Connecting EMB staff with Internet content and IT responsibilities via e-mail/web network
– Connect EMB staff in established democracies with those in developing democracies for peer-to-peer exchange
– Opportunity for U.S. state election office staff to share knowledge internationally at low cost
– Just-in-time access to often undocumented knowledge
Questions?
Election Administration, Electoral Standards and the Internet
Copyright 2006, Steven Clift, Publicus.Net
Contact
• To continue this discussion or explore solutions, contact Steven Clift at:
+1-612-822-8667
http://www.publicus.net
http://www.dowire.org
