The Use of Computers in General Election

Computer technology has played a vital role in various aspects of society including the processes involved in the general elections of many nations. The use of computers for the electoral process has contributed to a more efficient and accurate analysis and processing of votes.

Past Technologies and Elections

The electoral process was first introduced in the middle to late 19th century in various fledgling democracies all over the world.

In the beginning, there were only simpler voting methods employed in the electoral process. One of which was the idea of a secret ballot system which involved anonymously placing a vote on a specified ballot paper. Over time, there was a need to improve the coordination, security and reliability of the electoral system as the eligible voting populace increased. The improvements came gradually, first with the use of basic writing instruments, like fountain pens, typewriters, printing presses and a manual method of distributing ballot papers, writing on these and manual counting of election results using tally boards. Electoral rolls, which were either manually handwritten or typewritten, were also used.

Computers and How They Revolutionized the Electoral Procedure

The invention of electricity and the subsequent establishment of power plants resulted to various technological innovations and improvements in the electoral process. It began with electrical typewriters and then lever machines. Eventually, punch card machines were introduced which became the inspiration for the modern-day computer.

The first computer was developed in the 1940's to the 1950's. The machines were first used in tabulating the results of the US presidential elections held in the year 1952. Further developments in computer technology allowed voters to record their votes using the telephone, which subsequently sent it directly to computer systems. Security measures such as the assignment of Personal Identity Numbers were employed.

By the year 1996, more than 98% of the entire ballots cast in the local and presidential elections in the United States used computerized procedures.

Through the years, various technologies have been used to improve general elections, but computers have proven to be one of the most revolutionary and promising of these technologies. This time it so easy and fast to look at the best computer for the lowest price, so everyone can get one. This potential is evident in the increasing number of nations that have opted to automate their electoral process using computers