The future of electronic voting in the UK

The Ballot Act of 1872 introduced the concept of secret voting for the first time.

The way we vote, by putting a cross in a box on a piece of paper and placing it into a box to be counted – a system that dates back to the time when many voters were illiterate – has changed little since 1872. While the 2010 General Election will use this method, future ones may not.

So-called ‘e-voting’, or electronic voting, has been proposed as an improvement upon the traditional paper ballot. It’s a term that encompasses several concepts, from using voting machines at polling stations to voting from home by phone, text message or over the web.

One benefit of electronic voting is that it makes it easier to cast a vote, which can, in theory, increase participation, especially among younger people, who are the least likely to vote in conventional elections. It can also make voters better informed by providing links to party manifestos and other information.

E-voting supporters argue that it can lead to more accurate counting because all votes are logged electronically so there is less potential for ballots to be spoiled, lost or miscounted.

The opposition

Critics of electronic voting counter that e-voting actually increases the risk of fraud, because a computer system is open to attack by hackers.

Local elections have typically been the time for local authorities to experiment with electronic voting. Several test schemes have been held in England, starting in May 2000 and lasting until 2007.

There have been none since then, largely because problems that arose in those tests haven’t been fixed and aren’t likely to be soon. The campaign group ORG produced a report on its observations of e-voting in the 2007 elections.

The Electoral Commission, which runs elections in this country, has more pressing concerns. A representative of the Electoral Commission told us that e-voting will not be used in the 2010 elections, adding: “There are significant security, transparency and cost-effectiveness issues that need to be addressed before any further consideration is given to introducing e-voting.”