Computers and technology play an integral role in just about every aspect of modern life. Smartphones allow people to connect with one another from all around the world through social networks. Computerized point of sale machines allow companies not only to track the transactions coming through the cash register, but also have real-time inventory information at their fingertips. However, for any number of reasons, many elections around the globe are still conducted in an analog format with paper ballots counted by hand. Modern democracies need to be precisely that: modern.
One democratic system that has been leading the charge for electronic voting technology for a number of years already is the one found in the democratic parliamentary republic of Estonia in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. The Estonian i-voting system has been heralded as a shining example of how e-voting can be best adopted, adapted and implemented in a modern democracy. Fantastic checks and balances are in place to verify and authenticate the identity of voters, security is top-notch and performance has been exceptional.
This isn't to say that the early
experiences of e-voting in Estonia were completely and utterly problem-free and
this isn't to say that many Estonians didn't voice their concerns over how
e-voting would work and how it would impact their democracy. Since then,
e-voting has continued to grow and Estonia's model is a great example of what a
digitized democracy can and should look like.
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E-voting offers “clear benefits to voters,
in terms of convenience, accessibility and ease of use.” The e-voting platform
in Estonia is based on “tried and true” technologies that have withstood the
test of time and survived tremendous scrutiny. This isn't to say that the
electoral officials of Estonia are simply sitting on their laurels either, as
they continue to innovate with
new modalities, even opening up the i-voting
source code to the public in late 2013 to encourage further development and
innovation for not only Estonia, but also for other elections around the globe.
Indeed, the Centre
of Excellence for Internet Voting was established in Estonia in 2014 by
Smartmatic and Cybernetica. It works with the Estonian government to continue
advancing Internet voting in the European nation and to export these advances
and developments to international democracies too. “Estonia is one of the most
digitised countries in the world,” said Smartmatic Internet Voting Director
Michael Summers. “And [it] boasts an impressive culture of e-government [with
the] backing of the political parties.”
A democracy needs to be truly accessible
and transparent, while maintaining a high degree of security and
confidentiality. Estonia's growth in e-voting and i-voting is a testament to
what a clear vision and dedication to its advancement can create.
