Impact Data - eVoting
The State of Geneva is working on an internet voting solution and organising official on-line ballots on a regular basis. The very first one was organised in January 2003. This project was started in the year 2000, when the Swiss Confederation mandated three cantons (the states of Zurich, Neuchâtel and Geneva) to each develop a different eVoting system in order to diversify the testing of new approaches for governance in the future. Out of the three, only Geneva is presently using its application - Zurich and Neuchatel are still in the development process. Currently, the evoting system is used only for referendums.
Methodologies
3 study reports contributed to the above data.
Who votes via the Internet? A scientific approach to polling in Carouge and Meyrin [PDF]
A picture of online voters in the case of the Carouge municipal referendum of April the 18th, 2004 [PDF]
Report on the 7th official online ballot in Geneva, second e-enabled federal ballot
Who votes via the Internet? A scientific approach to polling in Carouge and Meyrin [PDF]
A picture of online voters in the case of the Carouge municipal referendum of April the 18th, 2004 [PDF]
Report on the 7th official online ballot in Geneva, second e-enabled federal ballot
Practices
Over the eight eEnabled ballots realised in Geneva between 2003 and 2005, it appears that internet voting has become the number one voting channel for voters aged 18- to 49-years. While women use eVoting proportionally to their demographical weight, men are overrepresented from the age of 30 up to the age of 60. This means that women aged 18-29 use eVoting as much as men. With the passing of time, it is expected that this gender balance will spread over the voters' age pyramid.
The 18-29 years age group represents 10% of the Geneva electorate. Without eVoting, this age group represents only 7% to 8% of the actual voters. With eVoting, the weight of this age group among the voters raises to its demographic weight - 10%. There is a net effect of the online vote on the participation of this age group.
From the ballot results, it appears that people voting by traditional channels cast empty ballots twice as often as those voting by internet. Internet voters also have globally a more clear-cut opinion (3% to 5% more "yes" when the final result is "yes", and "no" when the final result is "no").
However, the users of electronic vote do not appear to vote differently than the rest of voters. In all cases studied, they voted with the final majority.
The 18-29 years age group represents 10% of the Geneva electorate. Without eVoting, this age group represents only 7% to 8% of the actual voters. With eVoting, the weight of this age group among the voters raises to its demographic weight - 10%. There is a net effect of the online vote on the participation of this age group.
From the ballot results, it appears that people voting by traditional channels cast empty ballots twice as often as those voting by internet. Internet voters also have globally a more clear-cut opinion (3% to 5% more "yes" when the final result is "yes", and "no" when the final result is "no").
However, the users of electronic vote do not appear to vote differently than the rest of voters. In all cases studied, they voted with the final majority.
Access
Level of academic study is known to affect electoral turnout: people who left school at an early age vote less than those who have attended high school or college. According to these studies, online vote participants have a higher average level of academic achievement than the whole population. But, because of the known bias in turnout, this does not necessarily mean that academic achievement is a factor facilitating eVote use. A factorial analysis conducted on a set of variables (study level, income, political affiliation, etc...) showed that the essential factor in determining whether someone uses eVoting or not is that person's acquaintance with information technologies and computers in general. The more a person feels at ease with a computer, the more likely s/he will be to vote online.
Phone polls conducted in Geneva suggest that all political parties are quite evenly represented among electronic vote users.
Phone polls conducted in Geneva suggest that all political parties are quite evenly represented among electronic vote users.
Other Impacts
The Geneva authorities have concluded that eVoting strengthens the legitimacy of the popular choices by allowing for a better age balance of the voters' group, on one hand, and by confirming the choices expressed by the two other voting channels, on the other.
Source
Email from Michel Chevalier, August 9 2005; eVoting website.
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