Finnish Government Internet Voting Working Group: The risks of online voting outweigh the benefits.
Summary
A working group of the Ministry of Justice in Finland has concluded that the risks of online voting outweigh the benefits. Therefore, it should be kept from general elections. Although the technology for online voting is feasible, there are still some areas for improvement regarding reconciling verifiability and election secrecy.
Verifiability is essential in the voting process, as it allows voters to confirm their vote has been counted without any alterations. At the same time, secrecy is equally crucial, which means that the voting system should not produce any evidence that could be used to influence voters or sell votes.
The working group has identified several risks associated with online voting, such as manipulation of election results, interference in elections with denial-of-service attacks, and breaches of election secrecy. The most significant risk associated with online voting is the loss of trust, as spreading false information and rumors can quickly erode the public’s confidence.
Enabling online voting will likely improve turnout, but the impact would be negligible. Experience and studies in countries that have used online voting show that it is unlikely to impact voter turnout significantly. The estimated cost of the online voting system is EUR 32 million if the system is in use for 15 years.
The working group suggests that digitalization can be used to renew ways of participating and design them as quickly as possible for citizens from different backgrounds. Participation could be strengthened by creating new electronic tools for municipalities that make decision-making processes visible and allow for discussion.
Further information: Johanna Suurpää, chair of the working group, tel. 02951 50534, working group secretary, Heini Huotarinen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. 02951 50127, e-mails etunimi.sukunimi@om.fi
Online voting in Finland. Preliminary study 2017. Link to another siteOpens in a new tab
Prerequisites for online voting in Finland. Final report. Link to another siteOpens in a new tab
Terms related to online voting
Electronic voting (e-voting) = a voting method in which one or more stages of the voting process are carried out using electronic devices. The devices can be a separate voting terminal, computer, or mobile device. It can be carried out either at a polling station or remotely.
Internet voting, online voting, = internet voting, a voting method that occurs in unsupervised conditions via a data network.
Remote voting = a voting method in which voting takes place away from a polling station. These include, for example, postal voting, telephone voting, or voting via the Internet.
End-2-end verifiability = The principle of ensuring that a vote passes unchanged from voting to counting.
Individual verification = Voters can verify that their vote has been counted in favor of the candidate they voted for on their terminal.
Universal verifiability = Anyone can ensure that all votes have been counted correctly.
