Today, in a light drizzle, I went to vote in the House of Representatives election. It has been described in various ways—as the “divine nation” election and as a memorial election for former Prime Ministers Obuchi and Takeshita and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Kajiyama—but for those who did not vote, or perhaps those who will see this page 100 years from now, I will describe the voting process at a polling station. It generally proceeds as follows.
At the reception desk, you present the voting postcard sent by mail and receive a ballot for the House of Representatives single-seat constituency. At this point, receipt of the ballot is recorded by scanning the barcode (I think) on the postcard with a computer, preventing duplicate voting.
On the ballot you received, you write in pencil the name of the person you wish to vote for, then place it in a ballot box made from a duralumin case with a slot cut into the top.
At the next reception desk, you receive a proportional-representation ballot and a ballot for the dismissal of Supreme Court justices. On the proportional-representation ballot, you write in pencil the name of the political party you support. The dismissal ballot lists the justices’ names, so you place an × above the name of any justice you wish to dismiss, and place each ballot in its respective box.
That is roughly how voting is completed. After voting ends, these ballots are counted manually.
At first glance, none of this may seem unusual. Yet after voting today, I was struck by a very strong question:
“Why not vote using touchscreens?”
It is easier than writing, and ballots could be counted instantly, so this should definitely be better! There are also proposals to hold elections over the Internet, but how about starting here first? This should be something we can implement immediately.
While I am at it, the current situation, in which identity is verified using a postcard, is extremely inadequate for confirming a voter’s identity. Ideally, identity should be verified by checking a photo ID or using an IC card with fingerprint authentication. After all, someone who steals the contents of your mailbox can impersonate you.
Still, perhaps saying this is pointless when the prime minister cannot even distinguish a mobile phone from a PHS. I am starting to feel exhausted. I think I will have a beer and go to bed.