OSCE expert mission to study Estonian e-elections again

An expert mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will travel to Estonia next month to carry out another study of the e-voting system.
A formal request to check the system was made to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) by opposition party EKRE's Riigikogu member Arvo Aller in September last year.
The MP took action after the Riigikogu did not add the topic to its spring agenda. He asked ODIHR to evaluate whether Estonia's e-voting system meets democratic election principles
EKRE has long been skeptical of the e-voting process and encourages its voters to boycott the process and vote on paper instead.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now been notified that a mission will come to Estonia between February 11-13 to study the system.
Kaja Tael, Estonia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE, said there is nothing unusual about this. She said election monitoring is one of ODIHR's main tasks.

"Elections are undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of democracy. It is indeed common for ODIHR to receive such requests, as OSCE member states should view ODIHR as a reliable partner in overseeing and organizing societal affairs," Tael explained.
Aller is satisfied with the outcome.
"Even in opposition, it is possible to draw attention to e-voting, verify its accuracy, and, although European bureaucracies move very slowly, it is still gratifying that this matter has finally been taken up," he said.
The MP said the mission is expected to provide clarity on the principles of uniformity and transparency in elections.
"As stated in our Constitution, elections must be uniform, transparent, and subsequently verifiable. Attention should be directed toward how these stages are reflected in e-voting and how verifiability is ensured. For now, it is significant that we have been noticed and that our letter has received a response," he said.
Following a monitoring mission for the Estonian national election in 2023, the ODIHR made several observations and recommendations about the voting process.

Arne Koitmäe, head of the Electoral Service, said that several of them have already been taken into account.
"It should be noted that the ODIHR report was not negative. However, since the mission included a highly skilled expert, they were able to point out numerous aspects that could be approached differently or improved," he said.
Koitmäe believes the upcoming mission's work will also be highly professional.
"Given that the head of the delegation, Ms. Mauer, has extensive experience in e-voting and has been involved in drafting the Council of Europe's 2017 e-voting recommendations, she will undoubtedly have her own observations and proposals. I am therefore eagerly anticipating the results."
Kaja Tael added: "ODIHR is a helpful partner for us. They are capable of assembling a reliable team of experts, whose legal assessment of the situation can certainly benefit the Estonian public."
Estonia's local elections are scheduled to take place this coming autumn. At the national election in 2023, around half of voters chose to cast a ballot online.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Helen Wright