Estonia 2005 the first practice of Internet voting Epp Maaten Councillor of the Elections Department Chancellery of the Riigikogu Strasbourg, 23 November 2006

Why Internet-voting? To provide additional channel for voting, raising thereby voting activity To use the existing infrastructure more efficiently: - eID cards enable secure online-authentication - the use of digital channels is steadily widening Political agreement to introduce Internet voting: - In 2002 the legislative basis was created

Voters’ authentication with ID-cards Compulsory for all residents Contains: –Personal data file –Certificate for authentication –Certificate for digital signature

First Internet voting In October 2005 Estonia had the first pan-national Internet Voting with binding results 80% of voters had a chance to vote via Internet 1% of voters used that possibility

To vote via Internet voter needs: an Estonian ID card with valid certificates and PIN codes Computer used for voting must have: a smart card reader a driver for ID card (free to download from page

Statistics E-votes given 9681 incl repeated votes 364 incl e-votes cancelled by paper ballot 30 E-votes counted 9287 E-vote turnout (e-votes/votes) ~2 % Advance votes among all votes 24 % E-votes among advance votes 8 % Voters using the ID card electronically for the first time 61 %

Subjective reasons for not using e-voting A.H. Trechsel, F. Breuer, E-Voting in the 2005 local elections in Estonia,

Subjective reasons for choosing e-voting A.H. Trechsel, F. Breuer, E-Voting in the 2005 local elections in Estonia,

Electronic re-vote and the priority of traditional voting  Repeated e-voting is allowed - only last e-ballot is counted  Manual re-voting is allowed - e-vote will be cancelled Re-voting is allowed during advance voting period.

Decision of the Supreme Court of Estonia on Internet voting The possibility to change one’s electronic vote is a supplementary guarantee the freedom of elections and secrecy of voting upon electronic voting. The possibility of electronic voters to change their votes for unlimited number of times can be regarded as the infringement of the right to equality and of uniformity of election, but this infringement is not sufficiently intensive to overweigh the aim of increasing the participation in elections and intro- ducing new technological solutions.

Conclusions Internet voting is just an additional way of voting. It widens accessibility. It takes time to change voters’ habits and attitudes and to increase the turnout. Internet voting brings people closer to the information society. Integrated functioning of public sector IT systems raises the cost-efficiency. Internet voting is there to stay.

Further information Homepage of Estonian National Electoral Committee: