資訊與通訊科技的發展，科技與民主間的關係逐漸成為學界爭論的焦點。樂觀論者認為科技輔助下的制度運作，能降低決策成本、提升投票率與民主參與品質，為民主深化帶來希望；悲觀論者則認為民眾的公共參與行為，並非參與管道問題。同時，科技輔助下的制度，可能改變民主體制中的權力配置，加深社會中的對立。為了回應上述爭辯，本文除了在文獻中討論應用資訊科技輔助民主選舉制度時所可能帶來的正負面效果，實證上分析了2006年政治大學學生會選舉過程所蒐集的投票紀錄及問卷資料。結果顯示透過網路投票來提升投票率，在短時間內仍有其限制，即使多數受訪者在投票前表示網路投票的意願，後來實際參與網路投票的人並不如預期，且大多是原本即有社團參與或公共事務參與經驗者，網路投票並未展現對公共事務冷漠的族群的驅動能力。本文建議，若要達到樂觀論者的預期，在科技方面，必須強化科技的安全性、友善性，以取得使用者對於科技的信任感，藉此增加現有參與民眾繼續參與的機會；長期而言，若要驅動公共事務冷漠者，提升投票率，必須增加冷漠者的公共事務意識（例如持續發送給學生各項公共參與資訊），才可能提升學生對公共事務的關注與參與。

As the information technology has developed rapidly, its relationship to democracy has become a subject of study and debate. Due to the rarity of internet voting, its impact on voter turnout is still unclear. For technological optimists, allowing voters to vote online can increase turnout by reducing voting cost. For the pessimists, however, the willingness of voting is not a matter of voting procedure but a production of psychological characteristics in the voters. This paper explores the unsolved puzzle of whether or not internet voting increases voter turnout. The analysis of this paper is based on a 2006 campus post-election survey in Chengchi University. Our findings show that although internet voting has significantly flattened the declining voter turnout, it could not mobilize the more apathetic students, who actually were the primary targets of the internet voting. Students who have voted in earlier elections, who have been members of student associations, or who have held positive attitudes towards technology are more likely to use internet voting. The key determinant of voting participation is not the ease of voting, but the interest in public affairs. Based on our findings, we suggest that trust in technology of currently active participants should be built by enhancing the security and accessibility of new technologies, such as internet voting. In the long run, increasing voter turnout resides not in technology per se, but in people’s interest in public affairs.