Support for e-voting has more than doubled in the last five years as more people use the Internet as a part of everyday life.
A survey by Virgin Media Business of more than 2,100 adults found that 43 per cent backed a digitised ballot card system. This compares with 19 per cent support in 2005.
Lee Hull, director of public sector at Virgin Media Business, said: “Politicians have recognised that the internet is a great channel for engaging with the public – a notable figure being Barack Obama who recently launched his re-election campaign via YouTube and a Facebook app. Yet more could be done to harness the power of the Internet.
When you consider that most people will use the web to research politicians, register to vote, and check-in at polling stations it seems mad that we still can’t cast our votes online. The public has become used to using the internet for shopping, banking, and entertainment; many of us even used the Internet to fill in the Census. Introducing e-voting is the next logical step, which should stand us in great stead for the future and will ultimately encourage more people to get involved in government decisions at a national and local level.”