Word has reached us in the UK that there is some sort of election happening in the US. In fact it has been happening for an incredibly long time, with one of the candidates in particular making more premature victory speeches (although not to Americans, I mean, they're only the people who get a vote) than anyone in the history of the known universe.

OK, OK, I'm being cynical. But the Democrats are having their convention this week and all the smart newswires are saying how involved people are with the electronic side of things this time around. It's truly impressive. What's more, young people will be able to vote through the Xbox Live community (it's not that old people like me at 43 wouldn't be allowed, we just wouldn't have a clue where to start).

I wonder, then, whether everybody's read this - a summary of how a leading electronic voting system in America has been dropping votes for ten years but it's OK, a spokesman says, because he's confident someone would have noticed.

Well that's all right, then. Kind of.