California Gubernatorial Candidate Eric Swalwell Proposes Phone Voting to 'Max Out Democracy'

U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), a newly announced candidate for California Governor, has put forth a proposal to enable voting by phone, stating his ambition to "max out democracy." The controversial suggestion was made during his first television news interview since launching his gubernatorial campaign, appearing on CNN's "The Story Is" with Elex Michaelson.

Swalwell defended the concept by drawing parallels to existing digital activities, arguing, > "If we can do our taxes, make our healthcare appointments, you know, essentially do your banking online, you should be able to vote by phone. Make it safe. Make it secure." He emphasized his belief that secure mobile voting is achievable and already occurring in various forms across the United States.

The proposal emerges as Swalwell seeks to modernize state government operations as part of his gubernatorial platform. Beyond phone voting, he also suggested penalizing counties that cause voters to wait 30 minutes or more in person, aiming for California to "do more than just a little better" than other states in voter access. He also mentioned modernizing the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to reduce in-person visits.

Swalwell's idea has sparked widespread debate and significant criticism, particularly concerning the potential impact on election security and integrity. Many observers and cybersecurity experts have voiced concerns about the vulnerability of mobile voting systems to hacking, malware, and potential coercion, suggesting that the risks could undermine public trust in election outcomes. Social media reactions have also highlighted these security anxieties.

While Swalwell asserts that mobile voting is "already happening all over the United States," existing implementations have been largely limited in scope. Several states, including West Virginia, Utah, Colorado, South Carolina, and Oregon, have conducted pilot programs, primarily allowing overseas military personnel or specific populations to vote via secure applications, often in local or limited elections. These initiatives typically involve stringent security protocols and have not yet been widely adopted for general elections due to ongoing concerns about scalability and comprehensive security.