Suspicion about possible voting fraud and shocking scenes of voters being turned away from some understaffed polling stations have sparked debate among certain British people, of whom online information website PublicTechnology.net, which questions about a possible new thought for e-voting. Has the 6 May UK Election revealed the obsolescence of an electoral system dating back to the Victorian era? Adopting the electronic vote is far from having unanimous support.
Several voting fraud complaints are being reviewed, while important increase of the postal voting (up to 60 % in certain cities) is seen across the Channel as a call into question of an electoral process put in place under Queen Victoria, when only five million people were eligible to vote.
Could electronic voting, ranging from voting machines at polling stations to voting from home by phone, text message or over the web, is an alternative? Not really, if we are to consider that the few pilots attempted in the UK from 2000 to 2007 failed to resolve fundamental issues related to security and identity management concerns. The Electoral Commission has gone on record that ‘’There are significant security, transparency and cost-effectiveness issues that need to be addressed before any further consideration is given to introducing e-voting”
