World e-Democracy Forum

3-day conference on electronic voting

From 21st to 24th of July 2010, international experts will discuss electronic voting in Bregenz, Austria, on the banks of Lake Constance. Jointly organized by the Council of Europe and e-voting.cc, the conference proposes a seven session program and will review the latest e-voting experiments. At the heart of discussions: security, confidence and transparency issues surrounding the electronic voting.

http://www.e-voting.cc/topics/conference2010

London looks again at e-voting

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.

Norway will test e-voting

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will carry out e-voting pilots during the local elections in September 2011 with a purpose to establish a secure electronic solution that facilitates democracy. A point presented as key element by Oslo: "the current high level of reliability in the holding of elections, based on the principle of the secret ballot, must be confirmed".

The Modern Democracy Magazine No. 2 is available

The new issue of "Modern Democracy" is available for download in .pdf format on the website e-Voting.cc.

Most interesting articles: Wahl-O-Mat, a german voting navigator, state-of-the-art of e-Voting worldwide or about securisation  of voting technology. According to Robert Krimmer, Managing Director of e-voting.cc, 2,000 subscribers worldwide have been registered since the first edition, last spring.

• To download

New French experience of e-voting

On 7 June, the French resident in Africa and America were invited to elect councilors who represent them in the French Abroad Assembly. Approximately 9% of voters have expressed their choice by Internet, an option now available for all french citizens living abroad, following the publication of an official decree.

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.

Austrian e-Voting is started!

Since Monday 18 May at 08:00, the 1st legally binding electronic election in Austrian history went online. The Austrian Federal Student Union is being elected during this week via a remote electronic channel. Next week from May 26 to May 28 an ordinary, paper based voting channel will be opened to ensure. The paper and the electronic votes will be counted on the 28th and hence the results should be available in the evening.

Geneva introduces e-Voting

Citizens in Geneva (Switzerland) will be able to take part in cantonal and local ballots online instead of going to the polls or posting their ballot sheet. With more than 70 % in favour, voters decided, last February 8, to enshrine electronic voting in the constitution – making Geneva the first of Switzerland's 26 cantons to do so.

Robert Hensler, Chancellor of the Geneva Government said the result showed the popular support for e-voting, which will be introduced in 2010. The cantonal government and parliament said e-voting would help increase turnout and help Swiss expatriates to make their voices heard in political decisions. Trials with online voting have taken place since six years in the Geneva region, as well as in two other cantons. On a national level the authorities are planning further tests until 2011 with up to ten per cent of the electorate. The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, representing about 700,000 Swiss expatriates, has been promoting the introduction of e-voting.

Paradoxically, says the swiss journalist Frédéric Julliard, things are now serious. We have to consider in the future law legitimate doubts to technical incomprehensible to most people. "Caution and patience are the best allies of Internet voting. The generalization should be step by step, continuously improving the technical processes. That is the price that e-voting could fulfill its most important role: promote participation in the democratic process, especially among young people."

• e-Voting in the State of Geneva website

Estonia to vote by mobile phone in 2011

Estonian Parliament has approved a law making Estonia the first country to allow voting by mobile phone. Lawmakers approved a measure, last December 11, allowing citizens to vote by mobile phone in the next parliamentary elections in 2011. Estonians were allowed to cast Internet ballots in last year's parliamentary vote.

Successful election via Internet neighborhood councils of Issy (France)

For the third time since 2002, the inhabitants of Issy (Paris, France) elected their representatives to the District Councils via Internet, from 1 to 8 December. Extelia, a subsidiary compagny of La Poste, was chosen by tender to organize an election 100% full web.