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What is E-Voting? Who’s Using It, and Is It Safe?
Electronic voting or “e-voting” refers to casting ballots and tabulating results using computerised systems, interfaces and networks. As digital connectivity transforms societies worldwide, e-voting aims to expand access, increase turnout and reduce the costs associated with traditional paper-based elections.
Read on to learn about the critical types of e-voting systems, where they have been implemented globally, and ongoing efforts to balance security risks with technology's conveniences.
Introduction to E-Voting
E-voting systems utilise customised digital interfaces, secure encryption protocols, and electronic networks instead of physical ballots and ballot boxes to capture, transmit and tally voter selections across decentralised voting centres and remote internet portals, balancing convenience, accessibility, speed, integrity, and verifiability within the election process through specialised hardware and software.
The Evolution of Voting Methods
E-voting represents the latest phase in the ongoing evolution of balloting throughout history as available tools and representative needs shift over time. Ancient Greeks documented choices on pottery shards. Colonial Americans expressed preferences verbally or raised hands in town hall meetings. The secret paper ballot emerged in the 19th century as literacy rates rose and the United States aimed for greater participation. Lever machines with mechanical counters eventually appeared in 1892 and dominated for much of the 20th century before digitalisation.
Punch card voting systems utilised early data processing technology but failed in the 2000 U.S. presidential election, highlighting the need for upgraded equipment and processes. Now incorporating decades of advancement, secure electronic systems like online voting, blockchain voting enable voters worldwide to participate more easily while delivering transparent, auditable results.
Types of E-Voting Systems
Three significant hardware configurations are currently used to capture and count electronic votes: direct recording electronic (DRE) machines, optical scan systems and online voting systems. The following are the most used e-voting systems
1. Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Voting Machines
DRE machines provide intuitive touchscreen or keypad interfaces for voters to select, similar to an ATM or airport check-in kiosk. Their specialised programming presents the correct ballot style by jurisdiction and precinct. Voters press a button or icon to record votes for specific candidates or ballot measures, which are then directly stored on memory devices within the units.
2. Optical Scan Voting Systems
Optical scan systems bridge traditional paper ballots with electronic counting aided by high-speed scanners. Voters select paper forms by filling ovals or boxes or making pen marks according to written instructions. Their completed paper ballots are fed into specialised digital scanner machines instead of being hand-counted.
3. Online Voting Systems
A growing number of jurisdictions are implementing public trials of online voting systems accessed through secure government websites. Voters verify their identity using passwords, PINs or multifactor authentication. Available 24 hours a day during the election period, the portal allows voters to submit legally binding ballots from any internet-connected device conveniently. Cryptography applied to transmitted votes helps ensure the secrecy and integrity of results.
Countries and Organisations Using E-Voting
From emerging experiments to nationwide standardisation, electronic voting is utilised by different countries and levels of government worldwide:
1. Estonia
Estonia has offered internet voting options for legally binding local and parliamentary elections since 2005. Over 30% of voters participate online using national ID cards and PIN codes. An average vote takes less than 90 seconds to cast through the system. The country prioritises e-governance and online public services as part of its digital transformation.
2. Switzerland
Many Swiss cantons now allow internet voting for expats and domestic voters who request online credentials. Switzerland recently trialled a blockchain-based mobile voting system that encrypts votes recorded on a smartphone app and submits them to distributed ledger architecture.
3. Norway
Norway has one of the highest rates of e-voting adoption for national elections worldwide. In 2013, over 35% of votes were transmitted electronically, predominantly via the internet. Verified using PIN codes and passwords, Norway's system faced controversy in 2014 over security concerns.
4. United States
In the U.S., each state can determine its voting system technologies. As of 2022, all 50 states used optical scanners to process mail ballots, and some utilised them exclusively for in-person voting. Most states deploy at least some DRE machines, typically with voter-verified paper audit trails. Internet voting remains extremely limited, mainly to pilots for overseas military voters.
5. The Philippines
Automated elections were first held in the Philippines in 2010, using DRE voting machines and optical scanners purchased for $160 million. Their biometrics-based authentication system aims to eliminate voter impersonation but has faced challenges in effectively transmitting results from its 7,000 far-flung islands.
6. European Union
In 2019, the European Union passed legislation supporting member states that decided to introduce e-voting systems for elections to facilitate potential transnational online voting across borders in the future. International compliance frameworks aim to balance innovation, inclusion, security, and transparency as adoption expands.
Now, Virtualness is bringing blockchain based E Voting to make things easy.
Concerns and Risks Associated with E-Voting
E-voting systems have vulnerabilities to hacking, malware, and system errors that could enable election tampering or manipulation of results. The lack of paper trails makes auditing and confirmation of accuracy difficult. When weighing the e-voting advantages and disadvantages, there are high initial setup costs for e-voting and significant ongoing IT and security expenses. Potential authentication weaknesses surround voter identification. Some e-voting systems pose accessibility barriers for voters from specific demographics. Overall, technical issues with e-voting can undermine public trust and credibility in the election transparency process.
Measures to Enhance E-Voting Security
Ongoing innovation aims to address risks, enhance transparency, and institutionalise protective protocols, auditing procedures and contingency planning:
1. Mandatory Paper Trails
All DRE machines should incorporate printers, allowing voters to verify paper copies listing their choices before manually submitting them. Although this raises costs, it enables necessary recounts and audits even if the digital systems fail.
2. Post-Election Randomised Audits
Examining statistically valid random samples of paper records and matching them against reported totals pinpoints discrepancies and validates accurate results.
3. Open Source Code
Transparent, free access to proprietary source code enables independent experts to systematically probe systems for weaknesses before elections and facilitate fixes rather than relying on vendors. Open code also reduces public scepticism.
4. Blockchain Architectures
Decentralised recording of votes across distributed nodes makes tampering exponentially harder than centralised databases, which are vulnerable to intrusion or manipulation. Encrypted votes locked via blockchain show promise for verifiable and secure online voting.
5. Mandatory Certification Requirements
Uniform federal cybersecurity standards for electronic voting systems could improve reliability and transparency while removing barriers to testing innovations across state lines. Strict mandatory certification enforced by the EAC or other national bodies raises quality.
The Future of E-Voting
Ensuring free and fair access to voting remains central to democracies worldwide amidst rapid sociotechnical change. As global internet proliferation continues exponentially increasing security threats, e-voting systems strive towards responsibly harnessing technologies to expand participation without introducing unacceptable vulnerabilities.
Ongoing improvements towards transparency, verifiability and resilience can enable targeted adoption where benefits outweigh residual risks based on current threat models. While experts overwhelmingly favour paper ballots for now, innovations on the horizon may one day provide secure enough foundations for countries to transition fully to mobile or online voting.
Conclusion
E-voting facilitates participation and introduces complex security challenges surrounding transparency and vulnerability management. Through oversight, investment, and persistent, incremental improvements, increased adoption aims to strengthen democratic systems responsibly, not weaken them.
Technical precautions and contingency planning can help restore public assurance. In the coming years and decades, retaining voter trust and rights while expanding access to technology will remain a pivotal aim for societies worldwide.
FAQS
What is e-voting in the stock market?
E-voting in the stock market allows shareholders to conveniently cast votes online for company meeting agendas, director elections, and corporate policies rather than attending in person.
What is in EVM?
EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) are secure, stand-alone devices with tamper-proof hardware and software to record and count votes cast by electors.
What is the time period for remote e-voting?
Remote e-voting is typically open for shareholders for a fixed number of days determined by the company before the formal annual or extraordinary general meeting.
Is e-voting mandatory?
E-voting is not mandatory in most countries and jurisdictions; however, some nations, like Estonia, utilise internet voting platforms as the predominant method of casting legally binding national election ballots.
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