ODIHR Handbook NVT
How to observe an election process in which information and communication technologies (ICT) are used? This is the question at the heart of the recently published OSCE/ODIHR “Handbook for the Observation of New Voting Technologies“. It sheds light on the challenges that electoral observers face when observing e-enabled elections Continue reading
The Future of Democracy, HIR Spring Issue 2013
The spring 2013 issue of the Harvard International Review features an article on the Swiss internet voting experience, by Alexander H. Trechsel and Urs Gasser. Published before the latest developments of last Summer (Report of the federal Government, proposed modifications of the legislation), the article presents a brief history of Internet voting in Switzerland and three high-level observations of particular interest to an international audience. The authors conclude that first, the feasibility of Internet voting and its effects cannot be assessed in isolation from the institutional context. Continue reading
Keeping your hard drive healthy (Stop motion) (Photo credit: weesen)
Twelve cantons implemented internet voting at yesterday’s federal vote. According to the federal Chancellery 22 586 voters did actually vote via internet out of the 158 500 authorized ones. Two cantons, Geneva and Neuchâtel, authorized both (a fraction of) residents and their Swiss abroad to vote via internet. The other ten cantons only used i-voting for their expatriates. Up to 58.45 % of the Swiss abroad who voted did so via internet clearly showing that this is becoming their preferred voting channel. Continue reading
The Spanish General Review of Compared Public Law (Revista general de derecho publico comparado or RGDPC) dedicates a special issue to the juridical dimension of e-voting, “El voto electrónico y sus dimensiones jurídicas: entre la ingenua complacencia y el rechazo precipitado”, coordinated by Jordi Barrat (13 July 2013). Continue reading
The regular use of internet voting in the past ten years in canton Geneva (Switzerland) offers an interesting basis to evaluate the impact of this voting channel on electoral participation. This is also the aim of a recent study undertaken by the cantonal Commission for the evaluation of public policies and the University of Geneva* Continue reading
One of the most significant novelties announced to take place in 2013 is already there: a proposed modification of section 6a of the federal ordinance on political rights regulating internet voting has been published Continue reading
Switzerland. For the first time audit reports of an internet voting system are made entirely available online. The Geneva internet voting system was submitted to three tests in 2012: intrusion test, source code analysis and ISO 9001 evaluation. The results have been made public in accordance with cantonal regulation. Continue reading
Electronic Voting, be it on electronic machines used in polling stations or be it distant Internet voting from a personal computer, is often considered to be a useful tool for disabled people because it might ease vote casting. At the same time, and somewhat more paradoxically, there are concerns about electronic voting user-friendliness with respect to the needs of non-disabled people. Actually both points of view are necessary and they underline the fact that accessibility and usability must be key issues to be considered when developing a voting solution. Continue reading
Canton Neuchâtel had quite a special election today. For the first time in Switzerland a general election of a cantonal parliament was held with internet voting as a third voting channel. Internet voting is one of the online services proposed by the web portal of Neuchâtel cantonal authorities Guichetunique.ch. Another première with respect to internet voting was the fact that the system had to handle two different kinds of political elections (initially) scheduled to take place at the same time: in addition to parliamentary elections, the cantonal government was also to be elected on 14 April. Continue reading
La votation fédérale du 3 mars 2013 fût l’occasion pour quelques 152’000 électeurs dans onze cantons de voter par internet. Quelques jours après le Conseil fédéral autorisait 12 cantons à faire du vote par internet lors de la prochaine votation fédérale du 9 juin 2013[i]. Le 14 avril prochain tout électeur inscrit au Guichet Unique pourra voter par internet pour élire le Grand Conseil et le Conseil d’Etat neuchâtelois – ce sera la première utilisation généralisée[ii] du vote par internet pour renouveler intégralement le parlement et l’exécutif cantonal. Ces exemples récents montrent la normalisation de l’utilisation du vote par internet en Suisse depuis les premiers tests organisés en 2004. Continue reading
