Australia to replace postal voting with i-voting platform

With a land mass of over 7 million square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. However, it is also one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world with a total population of density of just 2.7 people per square kilometre. Compare that to the approximately 32 people per square kilometre of the United States and the 349 people per square kilometre in India. What this means is that reaching each and every citizen can be quite a logistical challenge, particularly for residents of the Outback.

It's no wonder that the Australia Post is considering the elimination of traditional home delivery for mail, moving toward local “community mailboxes” instead. For some Australians, this could mean walking several kilometres simply to fetch or to send off any mail at all. The future of the postal service in Australia is uncertain and this could leave postal voting in jeopardy.

As it stands, Australians do have the opportunity to vote through the mail, but this configuration is rife with challenges. Sending blank paper ballots to citizens and then requiring them to send the ballots back can be costly and time-consuming, not to mention potentially unreliable as the ballots could be lost in the mail. Online voting can overcome many of the issues of postal voting, particularly for Australians living in remote areas. If they can get online, they can vote and the ballot can be received and tabulated instantly.

As with any change, there are risks and challenges associated with online remote voting system. Ian Brightwell, Chief Information Officer for New South Wales’ Electoral Commission, has indicated that Internet voting is worth the risk. By moving toward internet voting, the democratic process is far more accessible not only for residents of remote areas, but also for Australians who may be living overseas or travelling interstate. There is no requirement to return back to their home district to cast a ballot.

Australian authorities are not considering to replace traditional voting altogether; their goal is to provide a complimentary alternative that will enhance the accessibility of the electoral process. Brightwell foresees the iVote system accounting for no more than 10-15% of all ballots cast.

Providing the right to vote for non-residents Indians

An issue that has been discussed a few times before on this site is the problem with allowing non-resident Indians to vote in elections. Just earlier this year, it was mandated that remote e-voting be provided to non-resident Indians so that they could exercise their right to vote. Even though the promise has been made, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before a proper system is in place to accommodate remote e-voting for Indians who are living and working abroad.

While concerns like these can be just as applicable for so many other countries around the world, it is particularly profound for the world's largest democracy. A great number of India's citizens are indeed living and working abroad, but they still deserve the right to have their voice heard in terms of India's political affairs. The political happenings in India still have a direct impact on their daily lives for a myriad of different reasons.

For the southwestern state of Kerala, discussions are ongoing as to how e-voting can be enabled in a fair, just and secure manner for non-resident Keralites (NRKs). This could apply not only to the people of Kerala who are living and working in other countries around the world, but also those who are simply living and working in another area in India.

The local government in Kerala has begun working with Technology Based Incubators (TBI) to design and configure an online voting system that is fool-proof and secure. One of the largest challenges that they face is how they can reliably verify the identity of Keralites who have settled overseas. This is a common concern for online voting and the IT experts are saying that the creation of a verifiable database is the major first step. This database could include biometric data like iris scans. The goal is to avoid “possible voting irregularities” as much as possible.

The IT firm has also recommended that the government of Kerala can work closely with Indian embassies, non-governmental organizations or international airports in order to facilitate the remote e-voting for non-resident Keralites.

As with any other political issue, e-voting for non-resident Keralites has its opposition too. The State Election Commission has indicated that introducing an e-ballot or any other form of e-voting within the limited timeframe ahead of the upcoming local elections “was not feasible.” Instead, NRKs would be provided with the ability to vote through their respective local body constituencies. Officials have stated that converting the candidate listing to a digital format in the next two months “was not practical.”

However, even if the introduction of e-voting is “not feasible” for the next elections, steps should be taken so that it is feasible for the elections to follow. Systems can be developed, tested and audited well ahead of the elections following this next one. It is oftentimes not feasible or viable for NRKs to vote in person, as currently must be the case for this upcoming election.

There are technical, non-technical and administrative issues involved in the creation, distribution, collection and tabulation of electronic ballots. But these challenges and issues must be addressed and overcome to provide non-resident Keralites with adequate access to their right to vote.

E-voting can improve access to democracy for Zambians

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once stood for a “government of the people, by the people [and] for the people.” Indeed, one of the most important pillars of a strong and legitimate democracy is one wherein eligible citizens can and do have a voice in who governs them. This is regardless of sex, religion, social status or geographic limitations. To this end, it is always in the best interest of a fair, honest and transparent election to provide the greatest possible access to the polls to the greatest number of eligible voters as possible.

In countries where literacy rates may be low, this might mean having ballots where even those who cannot read can still understand who they are voting for. It also means having ballots where people with physical limitations, like impaired vision or mobility, can still cast a vote. And while it is indeed true that urbanization continues to be on the rise all around the globe, there are still substantial populations who live in more rural and remote areas. And these populations deserve to have their voice heard.

And that is precisely why electronic voting technology is being encouraged ahead of the upcoming elections in the African country of Zambia. The people of Zambia are spread all across its country and some even end up in foreign lands in search of a better life or improved job prospects. These people are still entitled to take part in democratic processes.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has stated on the record that he is in favour of adopting electronic voting technologies in the country, even though opposition FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza says that the government should focus on acquiring local printers for printing ballots first. Mwanza feels the ballot papers should be printed locally and not in South Africa, but e-voting can potentially eliminate the need for the printing of ballot papers altogether.

In the case of a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), the printers can be integrated as part of the larger e-voting system and ecosystem as a cohesive approach to democracy. President Lungu has the support of other parties for adopting e-voting too, including the United Party for National Development (UPND). Party representative Edwin Lifwekelo says the system would be good for counting and voting purposes and that it would ensure full participation of the Zambian people in the electoral system.

One of the biggest motivating factors for adopting electronic voting systems in Zambia is precisely that: to provide greater access to the democratic process for all Zambians, regardless of where they are located. Education and infrastructure will surely play critical roles in the selection, deployment and running of the e-voting system, but these are investments in the future of Zambia and a more engaged electorate is positive for the African country.

The Zambian government and its electoral commission can look not only to its other African neighbors for support and guidance from their own early experiences with democracy and e-voting, including biometric voter registration and authentication, but also to the many other democracies around the world that have had to deal with having voters spread over a large geographic region.

Two such examples are those demonstrated in the Philippines and Australia. Remote voting was enabled by the use of electronic voting technology. Several thousand ballots were cast in the 2013 Philippine election in this manner and the Australian government continues to invest in its iVote system as a viable and reliable alternative to postal voting. Traditional polling stations will always have a place in a modern democracy, but remote voting needs must also be addressed.

The next general election in Zambia is scheduled to take place in September 2016.

Parliamentary elections in Estonia are under way

Source: Baltic News Network

Estonia is about to elect 101 new members of the Rigiikogu (Parliament) on March 1st. Yet, early voting has already started.

According to the Estonian National Electoral Committee’s timetable, advance voting at county centers were open from February 19 to 22. Internet voting also opened on the 19th, and will close on the 25th. In Estonia, the time window to cast a vote online usually lasts 7 days. Advance voting at all polling places will be open from February 23 to 25. And Election Day occurs on March 1.

Preliminary results will be available on Election Day, and the final official tabulation will be published on March 2 after a verification of results. 

Estonia’s internet voting system has been lauded as a success story. However, it is not exempt from criticism. Last year, a group of scientist highlighted what they believe to be gaps in procedural and operational security. According to Cybernetica, the Estonian lab that built this voting system, the platform is safe and contains robust cryptography protocols and auditable organizational procedures.

Public-key encryption and digital signatures are used for the protection of ballot secrecy and integrity. One key element for its alleged transparency is the fact that, after casting their ballots, voters can verify that their choice was registered as intended. 

Estonian authorities and prominent public figures have given little credibility to the criticism. In a recent video, Estonia’s Prime Minister, 35-year old Taavi Rõivas, promotes online voting and calls his own country the most digital in the world -a title not many will dispute given Estonia’s impressive internet penetration rate and the level of e-services offered by the government and other public institutions.

Estonia has conducted 7 national elections in which online participation has steadily grown.  Last elections -in May 2014- 30% of voters used the platform. Authorities are confident this number is likely to keep growing.

The 2015 Rigiikogu elections will be the first since the resignation of former Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. It was then - March of 2014 - that the coalition of the Estonian Reform Party and the Estonian Social Democrats, headed by Taavi Rõivas, took power. 

Bulgarian referendum could introduce e-voting and improve transparency

Source: Google Images

Electoral reform could soon be coming to Bulgaria. The country's President, Rosen Plevneliev, proposed in January that a referendum should be held on three key issues surrounding elections in Bulgaria: the introduction of a majority election, the proposal for compulsory voting among citizens and the introduction of e-voting technology.

A big part of the problem with the democratic process in Bulgaria is that the people have very low trust in the political institutions in the country. Indeed, Bulgaria is regarded as the second most corrupt member of the European Union and this doesn't fare well for how the people of Bulgaria regard their governments. Indeed, recent polls have indicated that public trust in parliament is a mere 10 percent. Electoral reform that sees improvements in transparency could aid in this effort.

The introduction of a majority election could help too. Currently, the people vote on lawmakers based on a set of pre-defined party lists. What this means is that the people of Bulgaria are currently electing their 240 parliament members from party lists that are chosen by someone else, rather than electing these officials on an individual basis, based on individual merits. They may choose a party list based on just one person from the list, not knowing anything about the other candidates on the list that they are also effectively voting for.

There are debates as to whether compulsory voting would be beneficial, but President Plevneliev wants “the voice of the people [to] be heard.” Proponents of compulsory voting say that it would improve the legitimacy of the results, as it would be far more difficult for interested parties to “buy” votes and thus rig the election results. It could also help to fight voter apathy.

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments that could come from the Bulgarian referendum is the development of e-voting technology as part of the overall electoral system. Opponents of the proposition bring up common concerns about security and technical complexity, but the overall advantages of such a system are undeniable. The primary goal for the Bulgarian implementation would be to provide better representation and access to the tens of thousands of Bulgarians who are living abroad.

Remote voting, oftentimes implemented over a secure Internet web portal, is growing in popularity among many countries around the world. We've already seen improvements in remote voting in places like Australia and the Philippines, helping rural residents and expatriates have their voice heard on the issues that matter to them. In tandem with the possible inclusion of compulsory voting in Bulgaria, this could help to further legitimize the elections and help to improve trust in government.

Indeed, following allegations that up to 350,000 fake ballots were prepared to influence the May 12 general election last year in Bulgaria, having a voter-verifiable paper trail to go along with an e-voting system that is thoroughly audited by an impartial third party could reduce doubts among the Bulgarian people in regards to electoral fraud.

However, the referendum on these three key issues – majority voting, compulsory voting, and e-voting technology – may not even be held. As it stands, a petition is being signed that could then be delivered to the Bulgarian government. If 500,000 authentic signatures are collected, a poll must be held.

"I appeal to the parliament to take a decision to hold a referendum, said Plevneliev. “I believe [it] will help to stabilize the institutions and increase public trust.”

Remote voting growing in the Philippines and Australia

Source: Google images

Voting technology can offer a number of potential benefits over a traditional, paper-based election: it can be used by voters to cast their ballots, and can also to expedite the vote counting process so the results of the election can be reported faster and with a greater level of accuracy. Remote voting is another area where e-voting shows a great advantage since it allows the inclusion of the electorate that has migrated from its nation or is located in hard to reach zones.

When a citizen lives in a major city, he or she is usually in relatively close proximity to the voting place for municipal, district or national elections, but this may not be the case for residents who live in rural areas. Absentee ballots are one way to handle this, but when it comes to overseas citizens, there are other challenges to overcome. E-voting technology can help to address some of these issues surrounding remote voting.

A great demonstration of the technology was recently witnessed in the 2013 midterm elections in the Philippines. In a mere ten hours, over 766 million votes were cast in the Philippines to elect over 18,000 local and national officials. Of these, several thousand citizens were able to participate in the May elections remotely from the different precincts, facilitated by the use of electronic voting technology.

The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) recently won the Accessibility Award at the International Electoral Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) recognized Comelec's efforts in making the election as accessible as possible to a range of voters, including those with disabilities. They were particularly impressed with how the election handled overseas absentee voters with the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines deployed in major international locations, like Hong Kong and Singapore, where there are large concentrations of Filipino workers.

With the aid of electronic voting technology, remote ballots can be more easily cast and counted more quickly than ever before.

Elections in Australia, where there can be substantial segments of the population that live in more remote and rural areas, are moving in a similar direction. The government of New South Wales (NSW) is investing $3.6 million on iVote, the voting system it will be using for the 2015 state general election. This is an expansion on the system that was already used in the 2011 general election, utilized by over 46,800 voters representing approximately one percent of all ballots cast. This number is expected to increase to 100,000 in 2015.

One of the advantages to the growth of iVote relates to accessibility for remote votes to be cast by citizens who live more than 20 kilometres away from a polling booth, including those away from the state on the day of the election. “Postal voting is becoming increasingly problematic as an effective channel for remote voters,” said the NSW Electoral Commission in an official statement. “It can be expected that in the not too distant future, reduced postal service delivery schedules will challenge the feasibility of completing postal vote application, ballot distribution and return within election timetables to the point where, for many electors, postal voting ceases to be a viable voting channel.”

The iVote system will also allow citizens with vision or physical impairments to more easily cast their votes over the phone or via a computer, rather than having to make the physical journey to a voting place or completing an absentee ballot through the mail.