Lecture Fourteen--ICS 131--Fall 00--9 Nov 2000  

Review of Lecture 13--Telecommuting

What made it possible?

hardware, software, communication developments

Conflicting Pressures

Control by Organization

Face-to-face

Space crunch

Commuting--time, expense, environment

Victor's interest in techniques for developing
 

a team when all members are not physically present

Another example of space crunch

Nieves, Evelyn. Mission district fights case of dot-com fever,
NY Times, 5 Nov 00, A21 (optional)

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Lecture 14--Computers and Elections

Readings

Wayne, Leslie. E-mail part of the effort to turn out the voters,

NY Times, 6 Nov 00, C6 (R)

Mercuri, Rebecca. Voting Automation (Early and Often?),

Commun ACM, Nov 00, 176 (R)
 

California Internet Voting Task Force. A report on the feasibility of Internet voting, January 2000; www.ss.ca.gov/executive/ivote/home.htm (O)

Weinstein, L. Risks of Internet voting. Commun ACM, Jun 00, 6 (O)

Weber, Thomas E. Anchors, away! web offers data, minus TV's filler,

WSJ, 7 Nov 00, B1, B4 (O)

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1. Redistricting

The seats in the House of Representatives are allocated to the states on the basis of the population determined by the decennial census. Each state then has the responsibility of establishing geographical districts, usually one district for every seat. The district decisions are often made by the legislature or by the legislature and the governor. The party in power tries to create districts which will maximize the number of seats the party can win. The geographical nature of districts is a fine art with a long history. The design extremes are known as gerrymandering after somebody named "gerry" who practiced the art.

In recent years, computer graphics has played a large part in the development of district design. Some of the recent designs have been rejected by the courts, but the effort continues.

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2. Campaigns
 

A. Soliciting volunteers, funds

B. Responding to opponent claims

C. Deciding where to campaign

D. Getting the vote out

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3. Election night
 

Trying to predict a winner.

Exit polls

Early returns

Signal precints, counties

Changes from previous elections

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4. Voting
 

Paper ballots

Voting machines--electromechanical

Ballot scanners--the Orange County experience

Punch cards

Voting on terminals in polling places

On-line voting from home or polling places

Mail ballots

access for disabled, increase turn out

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5. Do computers make a difference
 

A. Cut costs of campaigns?

B. Target ads, solicitations

C. Early predictions

D. Counting the vote
 

On-line voting preventing ballot mistakes, e.g.,

Voting for two presidential candidates