Winston Churchill opined, “My idea of it [democracy] is that the plain, humble, common man...goes to the poll at the appropriate time, [and] puts his cross on the ballot paper. [T]his man, or woman, should do this without fear, and without any form of intimidation or victimization. He marks his ballot paper in strict secrecy.”
Voters of all ages, from those nostalgic for curtained voting booths to those comfortable with online voting, may be dismayed to learn that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to a secret ballot. In fact, voting during the first 100 years of our nation was a very public matter. Much like contemporary participants in political party caucuses, voters were required to voice their electoral choices. Australia is credited with enacting the first voter privacy laws designed to combat the corruption and undue influence engendered by public voting. Private balloting was first introduced in the United States in 1888.
Weiterlesen: US: Is voting a public or a private act? (Your ballot is not as secret as you think)
Smart Cities Guru founder Anil Ahuja has compiled a list of the top U.S. cities — from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles — that have found a way to combine technology and nature.
It’s not enough for the country’s most advanced and sophisticated cities to be at the forefront of technological innovation with “smart” parking meters or informational kiosks. They also need to be sustainable and show an ability to preserve natural areas, according to Anil Ahuja, an engineering professional regarded as the “Smart Cities Guru” and author of the 2016 book Integration of Nature and Technology for Smart Cities.
Weiterlesen: US: 10 Cities Taking a Nature-Driven Approach to Innovation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for loans to provide and expand broadband service in rural areas, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced Saturday.
“Modernizing the nation’s infrastructure to deliver high-speed internet service is essential in today’s global marketplace,” Hazlett said. “Broadband helps create jobs. It also helps rural areas offer the programs and services that strengthen economies and encourage growth. These loans will help maintain America’s economic competitiveness and connect rural communities to more opportunities.”
Weiterlesen: USDA loans to provide broadband service in rural areas
Garden State just squeaks into top half of states doing good job encouraging and enabling use of new data technologies, digital infrastructure
New Jersey barely made it into the top half of the states doing a good job encouraging and enabling data-driven innovation, according to a new report.
Weiterlesen: US: New Jersey and Data-Driven Innovation: Imperfect Together
The new system is rife with enhancements that also include fully automated processing procedures, among other things.
As recently as last year, Philadelphia required any vendors interested in working with the city to submit bids by physically bringing in a box with three paper copies. When it came to sealing subsequent contracts, the vendors could do so online, but the final nine internal steps were all paper-based.
Weiterlesen: US: Philadelphia's Procurement Overhaul Includes Reverse Bidding, Open Data Practices