Voting technologies: from ostracon to e-voting

Abstract

One of the allocation methods of scarce resources, especially in the public sector, is based on majority rule. Modern societies use majority rule to elect representative governments that make some of the biggest decisions. Voting is a main vehicle of majority rule. There are four main factors that influence and are affected by voting – technology, law, politics and society. This paper provides an insight into the relationship of the voting technology and the level of development of democracy in a given state. Voting technologies developed from ostracon in ancient Greece, to Australian paper ballot, to telephone, fax, various forms of electronic voting, internet voting, mobile voting, blockchain and AI supported voting. E-voting could be considered as a form of display of the level of development of democracy in a given state. From ostracon to e-voting the main question is the same: how to have good life in a good state with good laws. From the answers offered by the Pythagoreans and Plato to today advocates of modern governance it has always been about how to organise a state so that we can live together the best way we can.