In an age of tech-driven convenience when Americans cast upwards of 60 million votes in the American Idol finale but we still can’t muster more than 20% turnout in municipal elections, is it time for an update to our aging voting technologies and election infrastructure? This month’s primary in LA county drew only 13.1% of eligible county residents — the lowest turnout in the state.

Online voting platforms are becoming more sophisticated, and have the potential to increase voter turnout without compromising the integrity of the election process as well as increase access for military and overseas voters, voters with disabilities — even astronauts in orbit! In 1997, the state of Texas, home of NASA facilities including Mission Control, passed a law allowing astronauts to vote remotely in their county and national elections. The astronauts vote using specially prepared ballots, and cast their votes by email.

Online voting has been introduced in elections large and small, in both the private and public spheres. Two years ago, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held online voting for the Academy Awards for the first time in its history, and saw successful results: 96% of members who registered for online voting ended up casting ballots, giving the Academy its highest turnout in history. Emmy voters will also have a chance to e-vote this year with an online nominations process. E-voting technology promises to increase voter turnout while maintaining the integrity of rigorous voting standards.

Online voting isn’t just for Hollywood. In 2005, the nation of Estonia became the first country to hold legally binding general elections that included a remote e-voting component, initiating a pilot program in their municipal elections of that year. Countries including Canada, Norway and Australia have followed suit with pilot projects of their own.

Voting through the internet provides several advantages: voters don’t have to make their way to the polling location; they can vote anytime rather than within a certain time window, and/or vote early; they can take their time reading candidate information and making informed decisions; and, eventually, results will be available much sooner. In addition to increasing voter convenience, online voting can serve as an innovative outreach tool for organizations and governments alike. Letting voters pre-register means easing the voting process on election day as well as getting them into the system early and connecting them to you for further outreach and engagement opportunities.

In regards to the recent primary election, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan commented “People are now used to getting information on a real-time basis and our system isn’t designed for that. But we need to make sure we’re not duplicating [problems] with a newer version of the old process. We need to make sure there’s value added, and a flexibility to change with the times.”

As local organizations responsive to the community’s needs, neighborhood councils have the agility to take hold of innovations such as online voting and adapt them to increase voter turnout and engagement at the local level. Online voting is a unique opportunity to engage the public through new technology and create another valuable link between a neighborhood council and its stakeholders.