E-election taskforce report complete, includes 25 improvement proposals

The e-election taskforce has completed a report which includes 25 proposals for supplementing Estonia's e-election system, improving its reliability and managing its risks.
Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology Kaimar Karu said that the report provided a useful overview of the issues surrounding e-elections.
"The current e-election system has been in development and use since 2005 already, and, as with any other complex system, it requires continued further development and improvement," Karu said in a press release on Thursday.
The report by the taskforce, which was launched by previous IT minister Kert Kingo (EKRE), will serve as one input in agreeing on further concrete steps in cooperation with other involved ministries and agencies.
"The e-election system can definitely be viewed as part of the state's core infrastructure by now, and its funding and development are an extremely high priority," he said. "We must continue to be sure that we are using the best technology currently available while also taking into account, to the extent possible, future changes in both cryptography and technology capabilities in general."
According to the minister, legislative aspects regarding e-elections will be reviewed in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the State Electoral Office.
"We also need to make sure that the principles on which e-elections are based are socially accepted," he continued. "We will definitely also seriously consider the proposal to ensure the strong representation of all parties in the observation of e-elections."
Karu noted that work on the issues addressed by the report must continue, and that serious cooperation would now begin on implementing the next steps.
"Work to ensure the security and transparency of the system must be consistent, not episodic," he said. "We want to learn from international experience and involve even more independent international experts than before. We will definitely also form the next task forces for addressing more concrete issues in greater depth and achieving set goals."
Over a period of six months, the e-election task force analyzed all submitted proposals for improvement, and the finished report highlights 25 of the most important assessments and suggestions.
The taskforce was led by Raul Rikk, national cyber security policy director at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and also included Tarvi Martens, Tanel Tammet, Mihkel Solvak, Liia Hanni, Epp Maaten, Mart Põder, Mihkel Tammet, Mariko Jõeorg-Jurtšenko, Martti Allingu, Arne Koitmäe, Tarmo Hanga, Alo Einla and Heldur-Valdek Seeder.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla