Like the idea of using Google to vote online for the best airline, steamed dumpling or health app? What about using Google to vote for governor or president? That seems to be Google’s plan. The search giant received a U.S. patent for a voting user interface (VUI). The interface would appear along with search results and would allow the user to vote for one or more contestants competing in a campaign. The patent application was filed on Oct. 30, 2013, and the patent was awarded to Google on Tuesday. What does the company plan to do with the technology? Google did not respond to a request for comment.
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said Google is unlikely to immediately aim for online political elections, and for starters, will probably use the technology for entertainment and social surveys. However, online political elections are probably somewhere in the future, Gottheil said.
… Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said the new online election technology would set up Google to handle both fun campaigns and serious political campaigns.
“I think it’s set up for both,” he told Computerworld. “Once we have more secure online identity, I think someday we will be able to vote online for president. To do this, we need hardened, multifactor authentication, but we’ll get there.”
Full Article: Google wants you to be able to vote online | Computerworld.