In a controversial move, Estonia has changed its election laws to allow its citizens to vote via the internet. If this first try is successful, Estonia will extend e-voting to all other kinds of elections. In the regional elections, 21% of Estonians want to make use of e-voting, but it is not expected to boost the turnout of voters, usually pretty low in these kind of elections in the sparsely-populated country. Estonia is the only country in Europe where access to the internet is a constitutional right. Sixty per cent of the country's 1.33 million inhabitants have internet-connected computers at their homes. Those who also have an electronic identity card can use it to vote via the internet in the local government council elections.
Estonia's President Arnold Rüütel has opposed the introduction of e-voting, arguing that the original plan favoured internet voters over traditional voters. According to the scheme, e-voters could have changed their votes until the very last minute of the election period while voters in booths could not have done the same. On Mr. Rüütel's pressure, this withdrawal option was dismissed.
The UK has just shelved plans to introduce e-voting due to concerns that the security and confidentiality of the vote could not be guaranteed, the costs were going to be to high and the turnout would not rise. A Commission in Ireland came to similar conclusions.
Links
Governments:
- Estonia (National Election Committee) General Description of the E-Voting System (March 2004)
- Estonia (National Election Committee) E-voting pilot in Tallinn (January 2005)
- Ireland (Commission on Electronic Voting): First Report (15 December 2004)
NGOs and Think-Tanks:
- Irish Citizens for Trustworthy Evoting: Electronic Voting: A Safety Critical System (March 2003)
Press articles:
- Financial Mirror: Internet democracy - eVoting comes to Estonia (8 October 2005)
- The Register: Estonia's local elections to be settled online (11 October 2005)
- The Independent: E-voting plans shelved (6 September 2005)
- Fenêtre sur l'Europe: Internet : étonnante Estonie4691 (12 October 2005)
- Le Figaro: L'Estonie instaure le vote par Internet pour tous (12 October 2005)
- Les Numériques.com: Vote électronique via internet (12 October 2005)
- Computerwelt: Weltweit erste Wahl per Internet in Estland (7 October 2005)
- Heise: Demokratie per Internet - Esten können elektronisch wählen (7 October 2005)
- RBI: Per Mausklick zum Volksvertreter (11 October 2005)
- Der Standard: Ein Fünftel der Esten will bei Regionalwahlen per Internet abstimmen (5 October 2005)
- ZDF: Esten wählen Technik (7 October 2005)
Quelle: EURActiv, 12.10.2005