European Elections: 15% of Estonians voters have voted by Internet

Estonia was the only EU country to allow Internet voting for the European Parliament elections, last June 7. Over than 58 000 voters used e-voting, which is 15% of all the people who voted. The e-voting system has been in Estonia under development since 2002 with the final pilot held at the end of 2004. It has been several times presented at the World eDemocracy Forum. In 2005 the system was used for the first time for local government council elections. In 2007, for the first time in the world it was possible in Estonia to vote online also in parliamentary elections.

At that time, a total of 30,275 out of 940,000 registered voters used that opportunity and cast their ballots via the Internet.

Internet voting in Estonia is presented a supplement, not to replace the traditional methods of voting. The idea is to give voters the possibility to vote from the location of their choice (home or office), without the necessity of going to the polling station. Therefore remote voting is used.

Electronic voting takes place during advance polls (sixth to fourth day before election day) and government-issued ID-cards are used for voter identification.

Very briefly, the voting procedure goes like this:

1. The voter inserts the ID-card into card reader and opens the webpage for voting (http://www.valimised.ee).
   
   
2. The voter verifies him/herself using the PIN1 of ID-card.
   
   
3. The server checks if the voter is eligible (using the data from population register).
   
   
4. The voter is shown the candidate list of the appropriate electoral district.
   
   
5. The voter makes his/her voting decision, which is encrypted.
   
   
6. The voter confirms his/her choice with a digital signature (by inputing the PIN2-code).
   
   
7. At the vote count the voter's digital signature is removed and at the final stage the members of the National Electoral Committee can collegially open the anonymous e-votes and count them.

There is a possibility of electronic re-vote: e-voter can cast his/her vote again electronically and the previous vote will be deleted.

The traditional means of voting (with a paper ballot) is given priority. Should the voter go to polling station during advance polls and cast a vote, his or her e-vote shall be deleted. On Election Day the registered electronic vote cannot be changed or made void.

• Sources: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Estonian National Electoral Committe