(Remote) e-voting in the Netherlands

Leontine LoeberConstitutional Affairs and Legislation

Susanne CaarlsPublic Sector Innovation and Information Policy Department

E-voting in the Netherlands

Elections for the Lower House on the 22th November

Intented use of Sdu and Nedap machines in most municipalities

10 municipalities: paper ballots

Sdu machines could not be used

E-voting in the media

Fokke and Sukke find it very useful:

The best part is: you don’t only know what somebody voted, but you can also hear the travel reports

What happened and why now?

Elections in March: first use of e-voting in Amsterdam

Protest group: www.wijvertrouwenstemcomputersniet.nl (we don’t trust voting computers)

Main complaints: computers not safe from hacking and computers can be tapped (invasion of secrecy of the vote)

Why withdrawal of approval Sdu?

Claim that computers could be tapped

Investigation by Dutch General Information and Security Service

Results: claims are true

Minister has to guarantee secrecy of vote

Future?

Elections in March, still uncertain if e-voting will be used

Independent committee will advise on the use of e-voting in the Netherlands in the future

Probably debate with the new elected Lower House

Also on use of internet voting

Internet voting

First experiment

•European Parliament elections•1 June - 10 June 2004•Dutch voters abroad•Experiment Act

•Telephone voting: 480 votes•Internet voting: 4.871votes•Total: 5.351 votes

Experiment 2006

Rijnland Internet Election System

Winner of the UN Public Service Award for “Improving transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in the Public Service”.

Voter can check if his vote cast has been counted

Future internet voting

•Evaluation

•Make internet voting a basic facility

Thank you

Leontine Loeber

Susanne Caarls