On May 8, 2001, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a bill, sponsored by Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington), directing the county's Board of Elections to research and report on ways to increase voter participation, including the possibility of voting via the Internet.
Research would be done on security issues related to Internet voting as well as the cost of implementing such a program. The Board of Elections will also study the efficacy of voting by mail-in ballots and the use of direct recording electronic machines, which work like ATM's and record votes by pushing buttons or touching the screen.
"I want to make sure that Suffolk County is at the forefront of any nationwide efforts to create a fair and universal system of voting," Cooper said this week. "Early results have shown that Internet voting increases voter participation, particularly among young citizens. In addition, vote recounts in Florida during the last Presidential election highlight the need to establish the most accurate and reliable method of voting possible."
A written report to the County Legislature is due from the Board of Elections by August 1, 2001.
