Two of the MPs who were originally behind the idea write that “the election process has been very similar since the universal suffrage was introduced.“ They claim that the advantages with the paper ballots, separate for each party, are well-known; it keeps the secrecy of election. But after the last election, the disadvantages have also become clearer.
Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask says to the daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet: “Paper ballots have its advantages but if there are other ways, it should at least be something to consider. I want to see whether we can use technology in a better way. But these questions are not simple. The election process must be secure and of the highest quality”
The Swedish Member of the European Parliament Christian Engström (Pirate Party), argues against the idea on his blog. His argument against internet voting is that it creates the risk that some people might get under pressure from others to vote in a certain way. At a polling station only one person at the time is allowed to enter so it is not possible to control how a person votes.
With voting machines at a polling stations, writes Engström, we get another problem. It is not possible for an external part to control that the process is free from fraud. With the current system with paper ballots, anyone can enter and watch the counting afterwards.
To avoid the problem that some parties’ ballots are stolen from the polling station, Engström propose a printer at each polling station which prints the requested ballot.
Full Article: Electronic voting in elctions in the future? – Stockholm News.
