Electronic voting

Americans never seem to stop looking for a silver bullet to solve the problem of a passive electorate. So the idea of voting from home via Internet attracted enthusiastic support for a while.

Of course, a lot of smart people took the trouble to think twice about the idea. It's not hard to see the pitfalls, especially if you've ever had to patch a piece of software to make it stop sending obnoxious e-mail to everyone in your address book.

Then we had the 2000 election, which revealed the inherent problem of any technology: It works really well for about 99.99 percent of the time.

Even before 2000, researchers had studied whether technology, in itself, could improve voter turnout. Their conclusion: It doesn't work. It takes a celebrity candidate or a civil rights movement to get more people to vote.

Here are the stories.

"Voting by the Internet: The Mouse Still Hasn't Roared"

The New York Times, Jan. 30, 2000

"Casting Ballots Through the Internet"

The New York Times, May 3, 1999

"Study Warns of Risks in Internet Voting"

The New York Times on the Web, Aug. 14, 1999

"Voting on the Web: Not Around the Corner, but on the Horizon"

The New York Times, Sept. 17, 1998

"Plan for Internet Voting in Louisiana Falls Apart"

The New York Times on the Web, June 22, 1999

"California Takes Up Issue of Online Voting"

The New York Times on the Web, March 18, 1999

"California Commission Sees Big Obstacles to Internet Voting"

The New York Times on the Web, Dec. 15, 1999

"Don't Rush Into Online Voting, California Panel Says"

The New York Times on the Web, Jan. 18, 2000

"Suit Seeks to Block Net Vote in Arizona"

The New York Times on the Web, Jan. 22, 2000

"Judge Lets Arizona Internet Primary Proceed"

The New York Times on the Web, March 1, 2000

"After Arizona Vote, Online Elections Still Face Obstacles"

The New York Times on the Web, March 21, 2000