Internet voting in Estonia: how it works, why is it so popular, and should other countries follow suit?

THE EVENT IS POSTPONED! In the meanwhile, you are most welcome to read the following: 

Our recent open access article by the speakers that summarizes evidence from fifteen years of Internet voting in Estonia.

Open access article

The book by Mihkel Solvak and Kristjan Vassil that explores the developments in e-voting over a ten-year period.

Full book (pdf)

Estonia is the only country in the world where all voters, in all elections, have the option to cast their vote over the Internet. In the most recent Estonian elections (2019 and 2021), nearly a half of all votes cast were Internet votes. With Internet voting in full swing for the 2023 parliamentary elections, this seminar takes a close look at Estonia’s experience with Internet voting. How does the system work? Why is it so popular? What about risks? Can Internet-enabled elections be free and fair? Is Internet voting the ultimate pandemic-proof voting mode? Why does Estonia remain the only country in the world to offer this convenient voting mode to all voters? What can other countries learn from the Estonian experience?

The speakers include:

• Mihkel Solvak, Associate Professor in Technology Research, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies
• Jan Willemson, Senior Researcher and Cryptographer at Cybernetica AS
• Piret Ehin, Professor of Comparative Politics, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies

The presentations are based on a wealth of data spanning fifteen years and eleven elections. A recent article by the speakers that summarizes evidence from fifteen years of Internet voting in Estonia is available here (open access).

All UT students and staff, regardless of specialization, and others interested in the topic, are welcome to attend!

More information from Evelyn Pihla, evelyn.pihla@ut.ee

This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857622