Ratas: Time period for e-voting before an election should be shortened

Estonia’s likely next prime minister, Jüri Ratas, refrained from repeating the Center Party’s past critical opinions on electronic voting, but in an interview with technology portal Geenius.ee said that e-voting should be limited to three days.
The time before elections that people could vote online had to coincide with the set advance voting days in the electoral district of a voter’s residence, Ratas said to the portal.
“Personally I’ve always voted at a polling station, but I understand that people have different preferences. The main thing in organizing e-elections is to ensure their security, transparency, and equal opportunities,” Ratas said.
In March 2011, the Center Party sought the cancellation of the parliamentary election. The party lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court arguing that e-voting was not reliable and verifiable, and in terms of uniformity not even remotely equal to the procedure of voting at a polling station, then-secretary general Priit Toobal said at the time.
E-voting is possible in Estonia between the 10th and the 4th day before the date of an election. Citizens identify themselves to the system by way of their ID card and codes, or by verification via their digital or mobile ID.
In the last Riigikogu elections in 2015, the share of e-voters in all early voting was 56.9%.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: BNS, ERR