A study by internet service provider Virgin Media has found that the implementation of e-voting would double the number of potential voters for a candidate.
The Virgin Media Business E-Politics Online Study found that the proportion of respondents who back online voting has jumped from 19 per cent to 43 per cent since the last election. Text voting, however, received less support with only 26 per cent of respondents saying it would make them more likely to vote.
“All the signs are that voter engagement with MPs and the electoral process is suffering,” said Virgin Media’s director of public sector, Lee Hull.
“Technology looks like it could be critical in helping to ignite more interest from the public. The absence of an e-voting system is ironic when you think how many people will schedule a visit to the polling station in their digital calendars, and check their emails, texts and Facebook while they’re queuing to vote.”