Guarding the Votes  Guarding the Votes  Improving campus
elections through better voter confidentiality and ballot
security  ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO look far in the news to witness
the intense emotions released by academic elections relating to
board of trustee matters--such as at Dartmouth. Just imagine
throwing in uncertainty and doubt regarding confidentiality,
fairness, and security concerns. A higher ed institution could
wind up having far-reaching ramifications of "nuclear winter"
scale to deal with. Many IHEs are woefully behind the times in
the voting arena, particularly as it relates to security. The
stakes here are high: hundreds of millions of dollars, not to
mention the power and influence that is up for grabs.
Obviously, confidentiality and security are paramount in every
election, public or private. When conducting a college or
university voting project, it is crucial to authenticate voters'
identification. Equally important is ensuring the voter's
identity and actual vote selection are separated