Supporters lay out tech reasons to vote for Obama, McCain

and any entity and any new idea that folks want to bring forward."

Democrats don't want to regulate the Internet in a way that discourages investment in new technologies, Irving said. But net neutrality rules and comprehensive privacy rules may be necessary, he added.

Steve Coll, president and CEO of the New America Foundation, said debates about tech policy are needed because tech issues have been generally overlooked in the presidential campaign.

"If you were to choose a single subject in which you might argue there's the greatest gap between the daily experience of Americans and the discourse of the presidential campaign, I think you could make a case it lies in technology," Coll said. "We've heard virtually nothing from the campaigns, and yet, connectivity and technology is a pervasive part of ... our economy."