Electric News Net reports Israel approves e-mail communication scheme:

The Israeli government has approved a scheme to enable secure online communication between the government and its citizens. Israeli newswire Y-Net News reports that approval has been given to a "safe deposit box" programme, an initiative that aims to allocate a secure e-mail inbox to every citizen in order to facilitate communication with the government. The idea behind the scheme is to allow the authorities to send official permits, agency forms and other messages directly to individuals or businesses. In addition, citizens who request information or official forms over the web will receive a response via their e-mail account. In order to use the system, which will be voluntary, users will have to purchase a smartcard and smartcard reader and will be required to register an electronic signature. The government said it will continue to provide services over the phone and in person for people who do not wish to avail of the scheme.

An email box for every person? It's a novel idea and quite feasible with only 6.2 million citizens. Washington state has about the same population, I wonder if it would be possible for them.