Why You Should Be Able to Vote on Your Phone | Bradley Tusk | TED

Overview

Bradley Tusk argues that mobile voting could revolutionize democracy by increasing voter turnout, reducing political extremism, and addressing systemic dysfunction in the U.S. political system. Drawing on his experience in government and technology, he outlines how secure, accessible mobile voting can empower the political center and reshape governance.

Notable Quotes

- Virtually every politician makes every decision solely based on winning the next election and nothing else. – Bradley Tusk, on the root of political dysfunction.

- When we made it really easy, when we let people reach their politicians directly from their phones, everything changed. – Bradley Tusk, on the power of technology to mobilize citizens.

- People in power don’t like making it easier for other people to gain power. – Bradley Tusk, on the resistance to mobile voting.

📱 The Case for Mobile Voting

- Tusk highlights the disparity between how people use their phones for daily tasks (banking, healthcare, entertainment) and the lack of mobile voting.

- He argues that low voter turnout in primaries, often dominated by political extremes, leads to polarization and dysfunction.

- Mobile voting could engage the politically moderate majority, empowering them to influence elections and policy.

🗳️ How Mobile Voting Works

- Tusk’s Mobile Voting Project has piloted secure voting for specific groups, such as deployed military and people with disabilities, in seven U.S. states.

- The proposed system includes:

- Multi-factor authentication and facial recognition to verify voter identity.

- Encryption, anonymization, and tracking codes for ballot security.

- Open-source technology for transparency and auditability.

- In pilot programs, mobile voting tripled turnout and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

⚖️ The Impact of Gerrymandering and Extremism

- Gerrymandering allows political parties to manipulate districts, making primary elections the only contests that matter.

- Low-turnout primaries are dominated by far-right, far-left, or special interest voters, sidelining the majority of Americans.

- Tusk emphasizes that most Americans agree on moderate solutions to major issues, but their voices are drowned out by extremes.

🚀 Lessons from Uber and Citizen Mobilization

- Tusk draws parallels to his work legalizing Uber, where mobilizing users to contact politicians directly led to widespread success.

- He argues that making political participation as easy as using an app can similarly transform voter engagement.

🌍 Overcoming Resistance to Change

- While mobile voting exists in countries like Estonia and in some local elections globally, U.S. adoption faces resistance from entrenched political powers.

- Tusk calls for collective action, emphasizing that every major societal change—civil rights, disability rights, marriage equality—required sustained public pressure.

- He envisions mobile voting as a tool to restore functionality, reduce polarization, and empower citizens to reclaim democracy.