VOTEHERE.NET TO CONDUCT FIRST BINDING INTERNET ELECTION
ALASKAN'S SET TO PARTICIPATE IN STRAW POLL FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY
December 10, 1999 -- Bellevue, WA
VoteHere.net, the company that conducted the first Internet voting tests this year in Washington, Iowa, Virginia and Ohio, will provide Internet voting services to Alaska districts 36, 37 and 38 for their Republican straw poll in the Presidential Primary cycle on January 24, 2000. For the first time, the 3,500 registered Republicans in this remote area of Alaska, roughly the size of Texas, will participate in this segment of the democratic process. With few connecting roads into this region, the Internet is a primary method of keeping connected with the rest of the world. Using VoteHere.net's secure, patent-pending technology to power this historic election is a natural progression.
"Reaching out to voters in remote areas fulfills one of the promises of Internet voting; these Alaskan citizens finally have convenient and secure access to their ballot," said Jim Adler, VoteHere.net's president and founder.
This area is dark up to 20 hours per day during the winter months and is accessible mostly by seaplanes, snowmobiles or dog sled. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 62.4% of households in Alaska, the highest of any state, had a computer in 1998, and 44.1% of those had Internet access. Alaska voting districts 36, 37, 38 border Canada on the east, the Bering Sea to the north and the Yukon River to the west.
Thomas McKay, chairman, Alaska Republican Party said, "There has been a high level of interest and excitement over this project. Many people in the bush feel neglected and we are trying to counter that perception by using this breakthrough technology to bring democracy to their door steps. Due to natural barriers it has been difficult for these U.S. citizens to participate in the democratic process."
The idea of using the Internet for voting in the Alaska straw poll was the brainchild of Alaska Republican Kathleen Dalton. Dalton, 70, a member of the Alaska Republican Straw Poll Committee is thrilled to be a part of Internet history. "Internet voting opens up a completely new domain to an Alaskan population that is handicapped by vast distances, lack of land transportation routes, and slow or interrupted postal service in winter months."
About VoteHere.net
VoteHere.net is the leading worldwide supplier of secure Internet voting solutions. Founded in 1996, VoteHere.net, has developed proprietary patent-pending technology to provide secure, certifiable Internet voting systems for both public and private elections, market research, polling, and surveys. For more information, visit their web site at http://votehere.net, or by phone at 1.888.457.6863/425.827.5156 or email to info@votehere.net. Correspondence may also be sent to VoteHere.net, 3101 Northup Way, Suite 250, Bellevue, WA 98004-1449.
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