Online voting is already possible in many areas of the private sector. And while it is less common in public elections, more and more countries are starting to allow itfor citizens living abroad, reducing errors and saving millions in postal costs.
But cost savings and result accuracy are not the only advantages of online voting over postal voting. Online voting also offers more effective anti-coercion mechanisms.
Voting online without booths
For many people, one of the earliest memories tied to elections is seeing their parents step into those curtain-covered booths set up in almost every polling station. But what is the purpose of these "fitting rooms" of democracy?
The idea behind voting booths is to provide voters with a private space to place their ballots in envelopes confidentially and without pressure. Voting must be secret and free, ensuring that no one is pressured into choosing something different from their true preference.
This type of pressure is known as vote coercion, and today it is a criminal offense. However, in the past, it was a widespread and accepted practice, characteristic of political bossism in 19th-century democracies. This is why older generations highly value the presence of booths in polling stations.
However, in practice, this system has not completely eliminated fraudulent practices. There are countless stories of enforcers accompanying voters to ensure they do not enter the booths, or lavish banquets where pre-filled envelopes with the "most convenient" option are handed out. Some dictators even use voting booths as a facade to deceive international observers.
Online voting allows us to implement more effective mechanisms against vote coercion than the traditional voting booth. But before reviewing them, let’s examine the issues with postal voting.
Voting online without envelopes or paper
Postal voting is even worse than in-person voting when it comes to anti-coercion measures - and generally in terms of anti-fraud measures as well. In many ways, online voting is already more secure than postal voting, particularly when it comes to preventing coercion. Here’s why.
As we discussed earlier, the effectiveness of curtain-covered booths in preventing vote coercion is limited. But with postal voting, there isn’t even that measure in place.
Moreover, the postal voting process is so cumbersome and complex that it lends itself to various types of fraud. Let’s look at some examples:
- In some cases, postal service staff verify voters' identities when they collect their ballot materials but do not verify them when they submit their completed ballots.This has led to cases of identity fraud.
- The extended voting period for postal ballots provides ample opportunity for vote-buying schemes.
- Since only one official envelope is provided for submitting a postal vote, coercers can easily check that their target has sealed the envelope with the dictated choice. The voter might not submit the ballot, but they also won’t be able to cast a different vote.
- Because the ballot and the voter’s identifying information travel together, we must trust that postal service employees safeguard our votes. Otherwise, breaking vote secrecy would be extremely easy for an interested third party.
Online voting eliminates all these weaknesses of postal voting. Here’s how.
Voting online without threats
Online voting offers many advantages. One of them is the ability to implement simple yet effective anti-coercion mechanisms.
First, online voting receipts include a hash - an unalterable alphanumeric code - that allows voters to check if their vote was recorded correctly without revealing their chosen option. This prevents external threats or incentives from influencing their vote.
Additionally, in the most secure processes, voters can overwrite their vote as many times as they like. While this might raise concerns for those unfamiliar with the system, it is an effective anti-coercion measure used, for example, in Estonia’s presidential elections.
Overwriting a vote is the best way to deter threats from third parties. Even if someone forces a voter to select a specific option and verifies it, the voter can later change their selection to their true preference. In essence, vote overwriting is the ultimate privacy screen - and it is only possible with online voting.
At Kuorum, we have been helping public and private organizations implement online voting in their elections and assemblies since 2013. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us anytime, no commitment required.
