Tennant said that for members of the armed forces, particularly those stationed in war zones, being able to vote was meaningful.

Tennant made this plea to skeptics: "Instead of continuing to focus on the shortcomings of Internet voting, opponents could help strengthen it. Computer experts could lend their skills to developing encryption software that guarantees that each ballot is securely transmitted. Election officials could help voters better understand how the process works.

"Internet voting should be a safe, secure, accessible option for voters. It is time that we, as a society, agree that our voting is far too sacred to compromise -- and that at some point in time this sacred right and accessible technology must intersect. I believe the time to explore that is now," Tennant said.

Companies touting online voting are confident they are the future.

"I believe everyone will have the option of voting online, certainly within our lifetime," Lori Steele, chief executive officer of Everyone Counts, a San Diego-based Internet voting company that provides services in several states, told The Wall Street Journal.