Knowledge Bank

This comparative analysis reviews literature from the perspective of legal, sociological, political and engineering disciplines. The interdisciplinary approach allows for a holistic examination of what problems persist in commissioning of elections. In many cases, practical engineering considerations are forced to defer to legal precedent. I blend both historical and contemporary issues regarding elections and democracy in the United States, and I trace the failures of the election system to achieve full enfranchisement. I discuss these legal battles in the context of maintaining secure elections. I review technological aspects of elections and various election systems. A newly developed tool, the Perspective On Issues Map, analyzes and illustrates the compendium of these aspects of the voting system in one graphic. Finally, I ask questions for future research.