Blayne Sucks

I recently finished reading Brave New Ballot this week. Truly, it is an excellent book. Although dealing with both technology and politics, which each have their own confusing vocabulary, the book comes across as extremely easy to read and understand. Also, at 304 pages, it is a quick read. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered if their vote really matters.

One of the things that I took away from this book simply is that it is incredible how little attention has been paid to voting technology. As I was reading, it struck me how fundamental this problem is. I’m stunned at how little most people I knew were and are talking about it.

There are a two very important quotes that highlight this profoundly. The lead-in quote for chapter 10 is from Joseph Stalin who said, “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.” I had previously run into another quote that I didn’t see in the book and was frankly surprised by it’s absence because it addresses the topic so well. Tom Stoppard said, “It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.”

It is inextricable that democracy depends on fair elections. I would highly encourage everyone with even a passing interest in politics to read this book. Also, for those who are interested in e-voting, this book is utterly essential. Finally, there are many, many resources available online about this topic, but I highly recommend this book as a starting place for those who are confused.