Online Voting to Be Offered in Arizona

Hoping to appeal to young computer-savvy voters and to increase interest in their party’s presidential primary, Arizona Democrats plan to hold what election experts say will be the first binding Internet balloting for public office.

Choosing candidates from home with a simple click of a computer mouse could increase turnout for the March 11 primary, though some worry about the potential for fraud.

“This will be the first thing to come along to motivate people to vote since the repeal of the poll tax,” said state Democratic Chairman Mark Fleisher.

But Deborah Phillips, president of the Voting Integrity Project in Arlington, Va., has concerns.

“Anyone who’s spent an hour on the Internet knows the potential for things to go wrong,” said Phillips, a frequent Internet user.

Before voting online from home, voters would complete a form printed from the party’s Web site, choose a personal identification code, sign it and mail it to the party. To vote, the individual would go to the Web site and enter the identification code.

In Arizona, the GOP and Democratic presidential primaries will be held separately, with the Democrats paying for their primary. Internet voting is not planned for the Republican primary.