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Internet Voting in Comparative Perspective: The Case of Estonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2009

R. Michael Alvarez ,
Thad E. Hall  and
Alexander H. Trechsel
R. Michael Alvarez
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology
Thad E. Hall
Affiliation:
University of Utah
Alexander H. Trechsel
Affiliation:
European University Institute
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Abstract

Several countries have conducted Internet voting trials in binding public elections over the past decade, including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. However, Estonia—a former Soviet republic and now a full member of the European Union—has advanced the farthest in deploying Internet voting. In this article, we focus on how the Estonians have systematically addressed the legal and technical considerations required to make Internet voting a functioning voting platform, as well as the political and cultural framework that promoted this innovation. Using data from our own qualitative and quantitative studies of the Estonian experience, we consider who voted over the Internet in these elections, and the political implications of the voting platform.

Type
Features
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , July 2009 , pp. 497 - 505
Copyright
Copyright © The American Political Science Association 2009

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