The advantages of an electronic process are numerous and include a more efficient voting procedure through automation.

It is important to recognise that such a project has been adopted in several countries with varying degrees of success. This is because, while some systems have worked well and have provided easier access, other pilot projects raised concerns relating to security, technical reliability and privacy.

Online voting has its advantages but it is accompanied by a series of risks that need to be evaluated.

Online voting should not totally replace any other existing method of voting, namely manual voting, but could be included as part of various methods of voting.

Likewise, one presumes the adoption of online voting should have the effect of facilitating and increasing participation in the electoral process. If it did not, then it would defeat its purpose.

First, one needs to define the term ‘electronic voting’. This describes a gamut of voting methods using electronic technology. The main types of electronic voting include electronic vote counting, voting via online computers from any unspecified location, from cubicles located in a specified place and under the vigilance of the Electoral Commission.

When considering various methods of online voting one should take into account, among others: the requirements of the electoral process and the local political culture; the approval of all the stakeholders, including voters, political parties and the Electoral Commission; and the voter’s peace of mind that s/he can make a choice freely and comfortably.

This means that any model adopted has to be based on specific requisites and factors that fairly capture the Maltese jurisdiction, while sustaining the fundamental democratic principles in the country. At the same time, the model should also address concepts related to public confidence and confidence in the security of the voting process.

Thus, while electronic voting has various advantages, there are also risks with respect to: security and privacy; security of data transfer from polling booth to the counting centre; and how at ease the citizen feels using such electronic means.

It is difficult to ensure security and privacy when the voting takes place from the citizen’s residence or via mobile phone as against a controlled location. Also, there are various security issues relative to the transfer of data from one point to another.

When one considers the Maltese context, there should be no problem with introducing electronic vote counting. In fact, the Electoral Commission has recently announced this will be the last general election where votes are counted manually.

Such vote counting systems have been adopted elsewhere and the experience of other countries shows they work well and provide the necessary security and accuracy in addition to a speedier election result coupled with a far diminished need of human resources. This would also reduce the cost of an election.

With regard to electronic voting, a more detailed study is required to ascertain the necessary peace of mind that the will of the electorate is being accurately reflected through a secure electronic model and that the voter is able to make his/her choice known in an environment that is free from any undue pressure.

No doubt, any model considered should allow for each citizen to chose a method of voting s/he feels comfortable with, particularly if s/he needs assistance to vote.

At each stage of the debate there should be consultation with political parties under the chairmanship of the Chief Electoral Commissioner. As in everything else, there should be wide public consultation.

JOSEPH CAMILLERI, PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE, CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES.

Trust is a key element of the proper functioning of a normal democracy. The electoral process is one example where we need to establish such trust to be able to innovate and catch up with the times.

It is no longer a matter of being time for electronic voting to be considered, it is high time for steps to be taken for it to be implemented.

Distrust of the whole process has conditioned the way we have organised our elections over the years and innovation and modernisation can only come about if we take the leap forward in terms of trust. This distrust has led to a farcical situation, whereby Maltese people living abroad, including those serving in our diplomatic missions, embassies and European Union institutions, have to travel back to Malta to vote. This causes great disruption and unnecessary inconvenience, apart from it being an additional cost to the country’s coffers due to the established practice of subsidising flights at election time.

The introduction of a trusted electronic system, available even through embassies abroad, including possible cooperation with other EU member states’ embassies where ours are not present, would significantly reduce the cost and inconvenience both to voters and to the government.

The inconvenience is not only for those abroad, however. It is anachronistic that while we carry out our banking transactions electronically, pay our bills online and withdraw the money we need from ATMs, we still have to queue up and wait endlessly to complete the 30-second process of filling up a ballot paper.

Is our mistrust in the political system and our democratic credentials such that we trust eSystems with our hard-earned money but not with our vote?

This should not be the case and, in fact, it is not so. We should therefore take concrete measures to make sure that all our citizens will be able to exercise their right to vote in the least disruptive and inconvenient of ways and at the least cost to private and public pockets.

The vote counting system is also anachronistic. Since 1987, we have seen that the informal sampling carried out by the political parties from ‘behind the Perspex’ can give a true indication of the electoral result well before the official counting has even started. The sorting process is lengthy and, with the passage of hours, tensions rise and all eyes are on the counting hall. The stress inside the hall is palpable and the country halts.

Such tension, and the potential flash points it can cause, would be significantly, if not totally, reduced by the introduction of electronic voting and, hence, also electronic counting.

Over the years, we have seen significant progress in the process because we no longer have to wait for two or three days to have a result. There has already been the creation of a foundation of mutual trust between the parties’ election monitoring machines, with party agents of all affiliations working together in relative harmony to monitor the process and come up with their samples correctly.

It is also important to highlight the fact that the pronouncement of electoral victory by one side has always coincided with the concession of defeat by the other.

The possibility for trust is there and it is now time for the quantum leap forward whereby we come together, build on what has been achieved so far and bring our electoral process into the 21st century.

MATTHEW MANGION, NATIONALIST PARTY’S ELCOM DIRECTOR