INTERNET VOTING THE REALITY OF OUR TIMES | Victor Guzun | Kevin Tammearu | Ana-Maria Stancu | Alexandru Balmoș | INTERNET VOTING THE REALITY OF OUR TIMES Chisinau | Bucharest | Tallinn | Brussels | 2020 ISBN Technical details to be adding to the printing house Publisher Authors: European Liberal Forum Victor Guzun European Liberal Forum Kevin Tammearu asbl Rue d'Italie 11-13, boite Ana-Maria Stancu 6 1050 Ixelles, Brussels (BE) Alexandru Balmoș Contacts Editor: +32 (0)2 669 13 18 Judy Goldman [email protected] cc € = www.liberalforum.eu Design and layout: Roman Burlacu Coordinator: Sergiu Boghean Cover Image: Shutterstock The European Liberal Forum (ELF) is the official political foundation of the European Liberal Party, the ALDE Party. Together with 46 member organisations, we work all over Europe to bring new ideas into the political debate, to provide a platform for discussion, and to empower citizens to make their voices heard. ELF was founded in 2007 to strengthen the liberal and democrat movement in Europe. Our work is guided by liberal ideals and a belief in the principle of freedom. We stand for a future-oriented Europe that offers opportunities for every citizen. ELF is engaged on all political levels, from the local to the European. We bring together a diverse network of national foundations, think tanks and other experts. At the same time, we are also close to, but independent from, the ALDE Party and other Liberal actors in Europe. In this role, our forum serves as a space for an open and informed exchange of views between a wide range of different actors. Published by the European Liberal Forum asbl with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Office for Romania and Republic of Moldova. Co-funded by the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum asbl are responsible for the content of this publication, or for any use that may be made of it. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) alone. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the European Parliament and/or the European Liberal Forum asbl. TABLE OF CONTENTS Internet Voting - Page General considerations 8-17 Victor Guzun Common questions Page on I-voting 18-26 Kevin Tammearu Considerations for the introduction Page of Internet voting in Romania 27-31 Ana-Maria Stancu Considerations for the introduction of Internet Page voting in the Republic of Moldova 32-36 Alexandru Balmoș Future Page perspective 37-38 Page 8 Page 9 FOREWORD The partnership between the Friedrich Southeast Europe had the opportunity Conversations with European experts Naumann Foundation for Freedom to learn about good practices in in voting systems and security, with (FNF) and the European Liberal e-health, e-business, e-education, liberal European politicians, with Forum (ELF) in digitalization and e-government and e-democracy. And partners in Romania, Moldova and public administration reform began it is in the last area that Estonia offers the diaspora showed us that although in Southeast Europe as early as 2015 an almost unique service worldwide interest in this system may be scant in when in a joint project we talked for its citizens: electronic voting via Western Europe, in the East it is high. about “Liberal reforms for public the Internet. Nevertheless, factors such as lack of administration in Moldova.” Back trust in state actors, general distrust then, together with a mayor and a Thus in the 2019 European of politicians, lack of political will and chairperson of the Estonian County Parliamentary elections, around 50 possible cyber security risks can and Council, we went to Chisinau and per cent of Estonian citizens used this probably will be the main obstacles Nisporeni to discuss the benefits of service. This caught our attention, delaying this process for many years, public administration digitalization because I-voting could be a solution in even if all dialogue partners agree on with local elected officials. Of course, the future for millions of citizens living the need to introduce such a system, we did not stop there. Two years later, abroad, especially for the diaspora “at some point when it is safe.” with ELF support too, we analysed in Eastern Europe for whom access the electronic reforms carried out in to this basic democratic exercise is Thus, without downplaying the fears Bulgaria and Romania and compared much more difficult. This was true for listed above, in the spirit of the them with those in Estonia, aiming at thousands of Romanian voters in the consensus on the need to introduce “redesigning public services for the first round of last year’s presidential such a voting system in the future, 21st century.” elections when the polling stations this publication seeks to provide in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin answers to the questions, arguments Our foundation continued on this could not cope with the large inflow and positions raised by our dialogue path in various projects with its of voters. We and the ELF deemed partners. main ally from the outset the former this solution for citizens as worthy of Ambassador of the Republic of consideration as early as last year. Moldova to Estonia, Victor Guzun. Who could have known back then the He has mediated the dialogue with significance the project would acquire Estonian specialists over time. Private in these pandemic times in addition to and state dialogue partners as well its important internal dimension. as politicians and journalists from Sincerely, Raimar Wagner, Project director, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Office for Romania and Republic of Moldova Page 10 Page 11 institution via the Internet. Mankind is now going through a metamorphosis where distance no longer plays a decisive role and data is shared in a split second INTERNET everywhere. Short-term and permanent migration are common in the globalized world, and modern communication technologies connect people with their VOTING - GENERAL own countries and the institutions they represent more simply, more cheaply, and more rapidly than before. People are no longer highly dependent on their CONSIDERATIONS places of residence and increasingly demand more open and transparent public services. By Victor Guzun The right to vote is one of these services. Speaking of the parliamentary e-Governance expert at the Laboratory of Initiatives for elections in the Republic of Moldova and the e-presidential election held in Development (LID Moldova). Romania, many voters in diaspora found their voting rights limited due to long distances to polling stations[7]; high travel costs; the small number of polling stations; limited human, financial, and technical capacities for organizing elections; and bureaucratic procedures or participation restrictions. Tens of e-Transformation is the reality of our times. It brings efficiency, effectiveness, thousands of people waited hours in front of polling stations without getting and economies of resources in many sectors of our lives. The current pandemic to vote. According to an IMAS study, 63% of the diaspora support the idea of emphasizes the use of e-governance solutions across the world; one of the most electronic vote.[8] For these reasons, the adoption of I-voting meets the needs of discussed issues is electronic voting. In this brief essay, I will describe the basic the modern democratic world and is a 21st-century imperative. principles of electronic voting; existing types, benefits and concerns; the Estonian Internet voting system (the only country that has introduced I-voting for all types WHAT IS ELECTRONIC VOTING? of elections); and examples of the use of electronic voting from various countries, [9] including failed attempts. I have used multiple sources including the Estonian WHICH TYPES EXIST? Electoral Office (EEO)[1], the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)[2], the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ◙ 1. Optical scanning of the ballots. (IIDEA)[3], and the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS)[4]. Voters go to polling stations, fill out their ballots in ink, and insert the People have always voted. It is indeed difficult to make decisions that machine-readable ballot into an influence community life without being able to accurately quantify the optical scanner. The scanner analyses preferences of the members of the community. In ancient Greece, citizens used the voter’s choice and calculates pieces of broken pottery on which they scratched the name of candidates for the data for all voters. For voters, ostracism (exclusion for a period of 10 years). As many as 6,000 votes were there is no big difference compared needed to exclude an individual. The same procedure and number of votes were with traditional voting procedures. [5] applied to welcoming potential new citizens . In ancient India, palm leaves were For electoral workers, the process used for “municipal” elections. A leaf with a candidate’s name was put inside a of counting and tabulating votes is mud pot to be counted. The term ballot comes from the word “ballotta,” a small much easier and quicker. In case of ball for voting used in the polling system of the Doge of Venice starting in 697 AD. possible machine malfunctions or [6] The first use of paper ballots appears to have been in ancient Rome in 139 BC . recounts, the paper ballots are kept by electoral authorities. The first After more than 21 centuries, mankind continues to use paper ballots even country that introduced this system though much of the data transfer