There’s a better chance of the Chicago White Sox winning a World Series – and of pigs someday learning to fly – than there is of my vote being accurately accounted for if Internet voting becomes a reality.

Although the voice of a person can be heard, Internet voting cannot accurately count votes with all the flaws and interruptions present in the Internet. That’s not to mention that software malfunctions and the hard work of computer hackers can disrupt the voting process, causing riots among neighbors and friends, and causing some people to suffer heart attacks and nervous breakdowns.

While it is exciting to observe young people paying attention to voting and seeing in them a desire to educate themselves about politics and the voting process, the 2004 presidential election might be the last election that people are allowed to vote with punchcard ballots, because of the possible introduction of Internet voting.

According to the April 2004 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, 1,600 independent computer science experts, including “200 Ph.D. computer scientists” agree that black-box computers are insecure and subject to internal and external hacking. They place democratic elections at risk. The total number of independent computer scientists who consider Diebold machines safe, secure and verifiable is zero.

Furthermore, I called seven state offices in Illinois that are registering voters and all of the offices’ representatives said there is no option to vote online in 2004.

However, when asked if there was a possibility of Internet voting four years from now, responses to the question were: “You’re right on the money;” “I don’t want to comment on that from this office” and, of course, laughter. Out of respect and good reporting, I choose not to disclose the state offices I contacted.

My prediction in the future? After the presidential election is over, the new focus will be on making it possible for Americans to vote online in the presidential election.

Legislators who advocate Internet voting have not thought about the “what ifs”: What if a hurricane or power outage occurs while people are voting online? Are their votes counted or is their information erased? What about the creative but phony voting Web sites that appear on Election Day and mislead voters? Or, what if someone died? Would someone be able to use his or her information to vote under that individual’s name?

Voters need to educate themselves and send a message to the government that voting via the Internet is not acceptable and should not be researched or even discussed.

The Internet has become a great way of doing business internationally. However, combining politics with the Internet in the form of voting is a setup for confusion and disruption.

If computer hackers can interrupt Microsoft Web sites and other successful businesses’ financial sites, interfering with a voting Web site during a presidential election will be a joke – and for some, a personal challenge to corrupt.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.