We Trust Our Phones With Money. Why Not Our Votes?
Americans can move thousands of dollars with a smartphone. Why is voting still so different? The answer raises questions worth asking.
Op-Ed by Mitch Goldstone, CEO, ScanMyPhotos.com
When was the last time you drove to a bank to deposit a check? I just take a picture with my phone. I can buy stocks, transfer money, check medical records, and book flights without leaving my chair. Yet I still can’t vote for political candidates on that same phone.
Why?
I’ve worked in technology since 1990. Back then, carrying a computer that recognized your face and connected to your bank account would have sounded impossible. Today, we barely think about it. So why haven’t we figured out how to vote securely from our smartphones? The obvious answer is that elections are different. A bank can trace a fraudulent transaction. An election must protect the secrecy of every ballot. There’s also the danger of someone pressuring a voter at home or malicious software changing a vote before it’s submitted.
Those concerns are real. But I wonder whether we’ve become so focused on what could go wrong that we’re overlooking what might eventually be possible.
Millions of Americans Still Don’t Vote
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 65.3% of voting-age citizens reported voting in the 2024 presidential election. Only 73.6% reported being registered. Think about that. After billions spent on campaigning and months of nonstop political coverage, roughly one-third of voting-age citizens still didn’t vote. Some dislike the candidates. Others face transportation problems, work conflicts or registration barriers. Making voting easier wouldn’t solve everything.
But couldn’t it help?
Consider Dancing with the Stars. Americans can vote for their favorite contestants in seconds using their phones. Nobody needs to drive across town or stand in line. I realize choosing a television performer is nothing like electing a president. The security requirements aren’t remotely comparable. Still, it makes me wonder why voting technology hasn’t advanced further.
Estonia Has Been Doing It Since 2005
One notable fact is that Estonia has offered internet voting for more than 20 years. In its 2023 parliamentary election, 51.1% of participating voters cast their ballots online. Estonians have been voting online for more than two decades, primarily using computers. Smartphones help confirm voters’ identities and verify submitted ballots, but they are not the primary means by which voters cast their votes. The system uses national digital identification and cryptographic safeguards. Voting generally takes place on computers, with a smartphone application available to verify submitted votes.
Could America learn something from that?
Absolutely. But Estonia also offers a reality check. Its 2023 election turnout was 63.5%, slightly below the previous parliamentary election. Online voting didn’t suddenly bring everyone to the polls. Maybe convenience isn’t the biggest reason people stay home.
What Would Make Smartphone Voting Safe?
I’d want independent security experts involved from the beginning. Every ballot would need to remain private. Voters should be able to verify that their votes were counted correctly without revealing whom they supported. I even wondered whether people could receive a mailed confirmation. Then I realized that sending someone a copy of their completed ballot could make it easier to pressure them into proving how they voted.
A confirmation that protects ballot secrecy might be possible. Proving that the vote was recorded correctly is much harder.
The National Academies warned in 2018 against returning completed ballots over the internet until the necessary security, secrecy, and verification guarantees can be demonstrated. That’s not a warning we should brush aside.
And any new system would have to accommodate people who don’t own smartphones. Nobody should lose access to voting because they don’t have the latest technology. I’m not proposing that we replace paper ballots tomorrow. I’m asking whether the experts working on cybersecurity, encryption and election administration can find a safe way forward.
If they can’t, perhaps their research could improve ballot tracking, registration, and election audits. That alone would be worthwhile. This isn’t about helping Republicans or Democrats. I’d like to see more Americans participate, regardless of whom they support. I don’t have a voting app to sell. I’m not developing election software. I’m just someone who’s watched technology transform nearly everything we do over the past 36 years. And I’m curious why this particular challenge remains so difficult.
Maybe the answer is that smartphone voting will never be secure enough. If the evidence shows that, we should accept it. But I’d like to hear from the people who actually understand the technology.
We can vote for our favorite dancer on television in seconds. Shouldn’t we at least be asking what it would take to make voting for president that convenient and trustworthy?
Revised on October 28, 2026.
