Electronic voting in the Åland Islands –empty promise or real scenario?

New technologies are becoming more and more frequently used in public administration and in the electoral law. Further states consider introducing an electronic voting as an alternative method of casting votes. It seems to be an attractive solution as it is expected to increase the electorate mobilisation. The Åland Islands, which are autonomous territory of Finland, are planning to ensure the Internet voting starting from 2019. It is the first stage of introducing i-voting in the Åland Islands and at this point only expats are enable to exercise the right to use it. The method is accessory to the traditional way of voting in a polling station and it applies merely to the elections to the authorities of the autonomy.

Apart from benefits, internet voting security is most frequently discussed by opponents and supporters of this form of electoral participation. Although this voting method is not available in Poland, the debate on the implementation of i-voting appears in each election. The COVID-19 pandemic showed a great need to implement additional remote voting methods in the elections, and increasingly more countries are considering the introduction of i-vote in the future. Although there is no plan for the nearest future in Poland, citizens' opinions suggest that this voting procedure would meet many of its users. The paper's main aim is to analyse Poles' opinions about the risks and benefits of internet voting. The results of our own studies are based on a survey among Poles regarding their views on internet voting. The main goal is to verify if Poles more often highlight the benefits than risks of i-voting, and if the opinions about risks and benefits of i-voting differ depending on respondents’ sex, age, education and domicile.

The determinants of the diffusion of i-voting as public innovation

This article analyzes the determinants which have an influence on the process of spreading i-voting as public innovation. The basis for their interpretation was the Everett M. Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. The review of terms: innovation, public innovation, diffusion of innovation and i-voting found in source literature has been made. The attributes of i-voting were a basis for interpretation of its acceptance. This article points out how important role in this process plays the important attributes of innovation and its connection with number of external factors such as political, social and cultural.

Alternative voting procedures in Polish and Lithuanian election law

Organizing voting in general elections only in the traditional way (i.e., at the ballot boxes) may make it difficult for more and more voters to participate. This is due to the increasing mobility of society and the fact that citizens are away from home on election day, the aging population and much more difficult access of the old and the sick to polling stations, and – as shown in the years 2020–2021 – unexpected epidemic crises that affect public health, which in turn translates into the election process. This article focuses on alternative voting methods in Poland and Lithuania. The main intention of the authors is to analyze the legal basis and compare the functioning of alternative voting procedures in the electoral systems of both countries, as well as to answer the question about the possibility of introducing new forms of voting that could increase the health safety of voters and ensure the democratic nature of elections in emergency situations. The motivation to take up this topic were: the wprowapresidential elections in Poland in 2020 and the parliamentary elections in Lithuania in 2021, during which not only alternative voting methods were used (e.g., correspondence voting), but also the possibility of implementing completely new solutions – safe in the event of spreading coronavirus pandemic.

Electronic voting has attracted much interest recently. One of the European, and perhaps even global leaders in the application of electronic voting procedures into elections is Estonia. The citizens of that small European country have had the possibility of voting online since 2005. The goal of this study is to provide a theoretically focused and empirically grounded analysis of the use of electronic voting (that is one of the instruments of e-democracy) in Estonia. This paper does not intend to cover all the details of the country’s experience with e-voting. Its coverage is limited to providing data on the influence of electronic voting on the final turnout in certain elections in Estonia. This study investigates the consequences of Internet voting in local, national and European parliamentary elections in Estonia. In particular, the analysis aims to determine whether this new form of voting could increase turnout.