Drupal 8 and the Webform module helps NYC online voter registration bill get passed

My family and I got to see Mayor Bill de Blasio sign the online voter registration bill into law which Ben Kallos, a New York City councilman and true fan of Open Source, sponsored. Kallos used the Webform module to demonstrate how easy it easy it is to capture a digital signature. The most ironic thing about watching the mayor sign the online voter registration bill, which is driven by the concept of digital signatures, into law, was the fact that he used used multiple pens to sign the bill. My daughter Lili and I both received pens that the mayor used to sign the bill. Everyone, myself included, has Kallos to thank for making this bill and experience happen. I guess - and this is a good thing - we’ll have to find other uses for our pens.

Last month, Kallos did a presentation at the NYC Drupal Meetup about how he used the Webform module to help get legislation passed to allow online voter registration for New Yorkers.

We all know that we can’t vote online yet, but I was surprised to realize that people can’t even register to vote online! Sure governments and municipalities move slowly, but how hard should it be to set up an online voter registration application? There is even an online HTML form that generates a filled-out PDF form that you have to print out, sign, and mail in. Next, someone manually re-enters your information, with no typos…duh. Kallos gets technology, which is why he sponsored this legislation and tackled the real challenge of showing his fellow council members how to capture a digital signature, which is essential for registering...Read More