Go to the profile of Annie
Annie

Help — where is Silicon Valley wonder kids when you need them?

Not at the Voting Booth!

Today was “Super-Tuesday-Primaries”. We should maybe rename it “Super-Slow-Tuesday”. There is something nostalgic about going to vote — somewhat patriotic (e.g. getting to wear an “I voted” sticker all day). But I realize that what makes it nostalgic is we are doing it the exact same way as when I was hanging on my mother’s apron as a kid. Check this out.

Behind the curtain, I came across possibly one of the most antiquated pieces of equipment I have seen in quite awhile (the state of the art: DRE-Dial ! as seen above). Take a look for yourself. Most computers get a facelift every 3–5 years. Not this one! To its credit (on its own website), I did notice that there is a newer version — I wonder how long it will take to deploy? And whilst this is not the only provider, there is a similarity amongst them all.

So why is this? Checkout the “non-partisan non-profit organization” website. I am sure it is full of good intentions but just feels burdened with bureaucracy. Whilst it is informative, it is dense with such detail that it is an exhausting read (I’m thinking I would be able to read “War & Peace” faster). Competing with likes of Twitter & Facebook, I seriously wonder if anyone is even reading the content.

So here’s a snapshot of the voting equipment across the country: https://www.verifiedvoting.org/verifier/. With a heavy heart, I am astounded at the “paper” driven solutions we are using in 2016. With such great “non-partisan/non-profit organization”, I can hardly wait till we have the same option for healthcare.

Why can’t I vote online? Per the website, here’s the answer:

“There is widespread pressure around the country today for the introduction of some form of Internet voting in public elections that would allow people to vote online, all electronically, from their own personal computers or mobile devices. Proponents argue that Internet voting would offer greater speed and convenience, particularly for overseas and military voters and, in fact, any voters allowed to vote that way. However, computer and network security experts are virtually unanimous in pointing out that online voting is an exceedingly dangerous threat to the integrity of U.S. elections. There is no way to guarantee that the security, privacy, and transparency requirements for elections can all be met with any practical technology in the foreseeable future. Find out more at our Internet Voting Resource Page.”

The last sentence is the most painful — — nothing “for the foreseeable future”….. Seriously? And how is it that Snapchat can so effectively erase photos forever in seconds, Hillary can delete emails and FBI can’t find a password?

So what’s the impact of the issue? Today’s experience using a DRE Dial (NB: spins could vary by state & party affiliation depending on related delegates):

  • Spin the dial for a candidate (depending where your candidate is in the list, it may take a several spins —for simplicity, let’s just average 5)
  • Select 19 candidates
  • So that’s 95 Spins folks! 95 SPINS!!!— even Vanna White would want a pay raise!

What’s wrong with this? Regardless of party affiliation, the reality was this:

  • Lines out the door.
  • Older folks (& everyone) standing in line for an hour or more.
  • Once at the station, it was taking upwards of 30 minutes to make selections.
  • Bottom line — this discourages the number one goal of democracy: “Making it easy for everyone to vote”

It left me wondering and pondering:

  • Why can we have amazing things on our smart phones(video games, bank deposits, emails and travel reservations) in sub-seconds but it takes 95 spins (30 minutes) to cast a vote?
  • Reading the website, the literature is extensive to state the reasons of “no change”. But okay, even if we can’t have Internet Voting, surely we can improve the UX (“spin-the-wheel” feels so 90s!)?
  • So often there is a strong reticence to change and a bigger effort to stick to the ‘same old/same old’. Silicon Valley is turning industries on their heads (Uber, Airbnb, Google self-drive), surely this voting process needs a step-change?
  • Break it down — what’s holding us back from making progress in line with commercial technologies? Is it (Government) Strategy, Policy, Process or Technology? As I watch Google invent next-generation cars, Elon Musk race to space and Apple outwit the FBI with security, we simply can’t say there is “no Technology out there to crack this in the foreseeable future”.

Come on, there must be a better way!

So with my Executive/CIO hat on, I sense a bit of “it’s just too complicated” when reading the website. I’d suggest breaking down the problem as certainly, an awesome solution is within grasp:

  • Is the Vision/Goals clear for Voting? What is the measure of success? By 2020, we want X% of population voting whilst maintaining integrity and security with x% of accuracy?
  • Are the Voting KPIs clearly documented, communicated & measured so both the organization & IT can measure success? There can be a few (i’d recommend a maximum of 5 — as all decision & allocation of funds will be based on alignment to these KPIs). Are they published? Initially, good starters for Voting could be “Security”, “Accuracy” & “Speed of Service”.
  • Set up Focus Groups to validate the KPIs and related barriers(e.g. voting/non-voting assuming this is a KPI). Obviously, slow polling may not be the only issue but after yesterday, I suspect it is a contributing factor.
  • How can People, Process or Technology solve the issue? There are always options (and the answer is not always Technology but given my experience yesterday, I can see how it may be).
  • Is IT included in the Organizational Governance? I often describe “Governance” as the allocation of resources to attain the organization objectives. In Commercial Organizations, there are 5 levers to pull when allocating resources: Finance, People, IPR/Legal, Marketing/Product & Technology. Too often, I observe Technology has been left out (and this is the underpinnings of a dis-functional organization — I will write more on this later). But suffice to say, if changing the Voter Solution, Technology (lever may go up), one must assess the People, Financial & Marketing(Brand) Impact (levers may go up/down or be reallocated). Failing to look at change holistically (in isolation by IT) is a recipe for disaster.
  • Develop a Stakeholder Management Plan. Projects that are successful, have Board Approval & Leadership (not lip service). Note to self/all: All change is tough and prepare for that. Looping back to step one, be sure the Project milestones tie to the Vision & Goals with KPIs so that everyone (Executives & Staff) are committed (& should tie this in with HR/Bonus objectives).
  • This looks to be an exciting project — that could transform the Voting in the US (but for other countries as well).

Cheers. Annie

ps — can you have it ready by November?