Finnish citizens renewed, on March 18, two hundred members of its Parliament, called Eduskunta, for a new legislature of 4 years. As the Parliament celebrates his centenary this year, Finnish are adopting a new approach in order to vote.
The solemn act which consist in going to the polling station the Sunday of election doesn’t seem to be necessary in the country of the thousand lakes who was the first European country, let’s remember, that granted the woman’s right to vote.
The number of electors that chose to vote days before the poll, by going at post offices and other locations represents 29% of the voters. The vote in advance consists in allowing the electors to leave their bulletin the week proceeding the electoral Sunday.
It is in this context that Future researcher, Dr. Mika Mannermaa proposes that Internet voting should be introduced in all elections in Finland within ten years - by the centenary of Finnish independence in 2017. The proposals are included in a report written by Mannermaa called "Democracy in the Upheavals of the Future". The report was commissioned by the Parliament’s Future Committee. Mannermaa feels that the introduction of Internet voting has been "unnecessarily slowed down". He proposes that Internet voting should be made possible in all elections to allow "mobile" participation in elections from different parts of the world. Electronic voting is to be introduced in the municipal elections of 2008, but only in a few municipalities, and it will take place in voting booths, and not on the Internet.
Finland is one of the most dynamic countries in the sector of the technologies of information and communication. The country recorded in 2006 a growth of 5.5%, it shows an unemployment rate at 8%, a comfortable budget surplus (2.9% of the GDP) that made the country reduce his public debt (39% of the GDP).
More information : the Elections website of the Finnish Ministry of Justice
