Riigikogu passes changes to e-voting regulation
The Riigikogu on Tuesday approved legislation to render Estonia's e-voting rules clearer, allow voting on smart devices in the future and using Smart-ID for the purposes of electronic identification.
Minister of Justice Madis Timpson (Reform) said that the amendments follow the Supreme Court's analysis of e-voting problems and work to give e-voting regulation the power of the law. Until now, the legislator has left matters largely up to the National Electoral Committee and the State Electoral Service.
"Right now, electronic votes are counted based on rules laid down by the National Electoral Committee, while several aspects are regulated by documents approved by the Electoral Service," the justice minister explained.
The planned changes would make it possible to vote using smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and create the preconditions for use of Smart-ID for personal identification. "These decisions will be made by the State Electoral Service before each election if it finds that relevant risks have been managed and the core principles of free elections are ensured," Timpson said.
The amendments will enter into force pursuant to general procedure, with the exception of some provisions which will take longer to implement and should therefore land in October 2024.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marcus Turovski
