Remote Electronic Voting: Free, Fair and Secret?

Political Quarterly

Volumn 75, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 60-72

  Birch, Sarah ^a   Watt, Bob ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX   (United Kingdom)

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 10744221148     PISSN: 00323179     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-923X.2004.00572.x     Document Type: Review

References (22)

1. This work draws partly upon research undertaken for a project on 'The Implementation of Electronic Voting' (Lawrence Pratchett, The Implementation of Electronic Voting in the UK, London, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2002). However, the opinions expressed here remain those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the sponsoring organisations. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the conference on 'E-voting and the European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; we thank the conference participants for their feedback. We are also very grateful to Albert Weale for his helpful comments. This article is the result of a collaboration between the authors, who made equal contributions to the final draft.
2. This work draws partly upon research undertaken for a project on 'The Implementation of Electronic Voting' (Lawrence Pratchett, The Implementation of Electronic Voting in the UK, London, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2002). However, the opinions expressed here remain those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the sponsoring organisations. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the conference on 'E-voting and the European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; we thank the conference participants for their feedback. We are also very grateful to Albert Weale for his helpful comments. This article is the result of a collaboration between the authors, who made equal contributions to the final draft.
3. See Election 2001: The Official Result, pp. 4-5, available at www.electoralcommission.gov.uk.
4. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper Ballot to E-voting. Report of the Independent Commission on Alternative Voting Methods, London, Electoral Reform Society, 2002 (quotation from Dr Stephen Coleman's 'foreword' at p. 5). It must be conceded that this view is not held by all writers; for an opposing view see e.g. Kevin Dowd, 'Participation in Civil Society', in D. Campbell and N. D. Lewis, eds, Promoting Participation: Law or Politics, London, Cavendish, 1999.
5. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper Ballot to E-voting. Report of the Independent Commission on Alternative Voting Methods, London, Electoral Reform Society, 2002 (quotation from Dr Stephen Coleman's 'foreword' at p. 5). It must be conceded that this view is not held by all writers; for an opposing view see e.g. Kevin Dowd, 'Participation in Civil Society', in D. Campbell and N. D. Lewis, eds, Promoting Participation: Law or Politics, London, Cavendish, 1999.
6. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper Ballot to E-Voting; Pratchett, The Implementation of Electronic Voting in the UK.
7. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper Ballot to E-Voting; Pratchett, The Implementation of Electronic Voting in the UK.
8. See Bob Watt, 'Legal Issues Concerning the Implementation of Electronic Voting', published at http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/egov/e-voting/01/index.htm; Bob Watt and Sarah Birch, 'Electronic Voting: Free, Fair and Secret?', paper delivered at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, 10-11 May 2002; and Bob Watt, 'Human Rights and Remote Voting by Electronic Means', Representation, vol. 39, no. 3, 2003.
9. See Bob Watt, 'Legal Issues Concerning the Implementation of Electronic Voting', published at http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/egov/e-voting/01/index.htm; Bob Watt and Sarah Birch, 'Electronic Voting: Free, Fair and Secret?', paper delivered at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, 10-11 May 2002; and Bob Watt, 'Human Rights and Remote Voting by Electronic Means', Representation, vol. 39, no. 3, 2003.
10. See Bob Watt, 'Legal Issues Concerning the Implementation of Electronic Voting', published at http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/egov/e-voting/01/index.htm; Bob Watt and Sarah Birch, 'Electronic Voting: Free, Fair and Secret?', paper delivered at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, 10-11 May 2002; and Bob Watt, 'Human Rights and Remote Voting by Electronic Means', Representation, vol. 39, no. 3, 2003.
11. For criticism of these safeguards as inadequate, see Ballot Secrecy, London, Electoral Reform Society/Liberty, 1993.
12. See Nan Dirk de Graaf and Anthony Heath, 'Husbands' and Wives' Voting Behaviour in Britain: Class-dependent Mutual Influence of Spouses', Acta Sociologica, vol. 35, 1992, pp. 311-22.
13. This is akin to the argument made by Michael Walzer in Spheres of Justice, Oxford, Martin Robertson, 1983.
14. See Geoffrey Brennan and Philip Pettit, 'Unveiling the Vote', British Journal of Political Science, vol. 20, 1990, p. 326 n. 22.
15. Rick Vallely, 'Voting Alone: The Case Against Virtual Ballot Boxes', New Republic, 13-20 September 1999, p. 21.
16. Joseph Raz, The Morality of Freedom, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1986, p. 425.
17. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.
18. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.
19. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.
20. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.
21. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.
22. Elections in the 21st Century: From Paper ballot to E-Voting, pp. 22, 28-9; SENSE, 'Electoral Pilots 2002: The Implications for Deafblind People', occasional policy paper, November 2001; Peter Lynch, 'Increasing Electoral Turnout in British Elections: An Evaluation of Electoral Pilot Schemes 2000-2', Representation, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003; Jeevan Vasagar, 'Rigging Doubts over Postal Ballots: Government Scheme to Improve Turnouts Could Be Exploited', Guardian Unlimited Politics, 28 September 2002; Lawrence Pratchett and Melvin Wingfield, 'Balancing Security and Simplicity in E-Voting: Is there an Effective Compromise?', paper delivered at the conference on 'E-Voting in European Parliamentary Elections', Florence, 10-11 May 2002; Electoral Commission, Modernising Elections: A Strategic Evaluation of the 2002 Electoral Pilot Schemes, London, Electoral Commission, 2002, p. 69.