Louisiana Mulls Internet Voting
- By KEVIN McGILL, AP
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana Republicans, planning to leap
ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire with next year's first presidential preference vote, are
also considering a leap technologically - Internet balloting.
State party executive director Becky Miller said Thursday that the party's
executive committee is likely to vote June 12 on whether to use an Internet voting system
in a party primary election that could be held Jan. 29. Miller said the Internet proposal
has been discussed at regional meetings around the state and that a recommendation to use
Internet voting was made by the party's executive committee after a meeting Monday.
Details have not been worked out but a company called VoteHere.net is working on
a proposal. One advantage of the idea, Miller said, is that it could help avert the long
lines and hours of waiting that some Republicans faced during 1996 state caucuses.
Republican legislators asked Thursday about the possibility of Internet voting expressed
skepticism. ``There is no doubt we've had difficulties getting the caucuses to work,''
said state Sen. Tom Schedler. ``Whether the Internet is the answer, I just don't know. I'm
open to the idea based on the past performance of caucuses but I'm worried about the
access. How many Republicans have computers at home?''
Limited access was the worry for Sen. Jay Dardenne, as well. ``My take on it is
www.bad-idea.com,'' Dardenne said. ``Maybe I'm just a stick in the mud but I like the old
fashioned way. I realize we're entering a new century, but I'm not sure we're ready for
this yet. I think we have an access problem. ``The way some may view the party, all
Republicans have computers, but I'm not sure of that.''
However, Rep. Charles Lancaster said Internet voting could solve an array of
problems. ``This is the best idea that I've seen in a couple of years,'' he said. Access
would be less of a problem under one scenario laid out by Miller. Rather than all
registered Republicans voting from personal computers, ``block hosts'' in various areas
would open their homes as balloting sites. The number would be limited but there would be
more than the 42 used for 20,000 participants in the 1996 caucuses.
Aside from long waits, the 1996 caucuses were widely criticized because major
candidates avoided Louisiana in favor of the Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first in the
nation. Despite the interstate party strife over the early date, Louisiana's GOP
remains committed to hold the first preference vote again in 2000. ``To us this doesn't
have anything to do with Iowa. This is about Louisiana,'' Miller said. If the Internet
election system is approved, VoteHere.net officials said, it will likely be the nation's
first primary vote by Internet. Some corporations have used Internet voting for
shareholder proposals. Miller said the state party's plans will have to be complete and
submitted to the Republican National Committee by July 1.
