Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
Paul Docker - DCA
Workshop on e-Voting and e-
Government in the UK
Edinburgh 27-28 Feb 2006

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
“A 21st century democracy should provide a variety of ways of voting that reflect modern lifestyles”
Office of the e-Envoy; In the Service of Democracy
– a consultation paper on a policy for electronic democracy,
July 2002 o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights

3 Aspects (‘ 3 legs of the stool’)
 Access

Security

Participation o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
• Trials in real elections
• Locally run – s10 RPA 2000
• Central Procurement
• Relying heavily on independent evaluation
• Scaling up where opportunities and situations support o tre

Pilot criteria
Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
All pilots must:
• fit within the Government’s general vision for electoral modernisation;
• have clear objectives and benefits in terms of: turnout, security, efficiency and facilitating voting - and a means of testing the impact of the innovation;
• Be robust and maintain public confidence in the electoral process
• identify and manage key risks;
• any innovation is as secure, if not more secure than, conventional electoral practices:
• Have effective management arrangements in place and sufficient resources and capacity to deliver the pilot;
• fully support the Electoral Commission’s evaluation process;
• have an effective business case and offer value for money.
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Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
•
Since enabling legislation in 2000 over 150 electoral pilot schemes
• Involving some 100 local authorities
• Types of pilots have included: e-voting, e-counting, all-postal, early voting, mobile voting
• E-voting has included : Internet, kiosks, SMS, telephone and interactive digital TV
• Electronic elements supported by a central procurement o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
2006
•EA Bill provisions - ballot paper changes / signature checking / signatures in polling stations
• Early and Mobile voting,
• e-Counting
• Service Voters
2007
• Building on 2006 and what has gone before
• More ‘administrative’ pilots
• e-Counting to rollout stage?
• e-voting o tre


Access

Participation

Vote from anywhere
– full remote access?
– limited to polling stations?

Support for those with disabilities

Increased security?

Administrative efficiency
Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights o tre

• Security
• Accessibility - Must not deter participation
• Public confidence
• Perceptions – negative press
• Support wider policy
Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights o tre

• Accredited suppliers and systems
• Local operation of systems
• Supplier led development / provision
• Responding to Government drivers
• Informed by pilots and evaluation
• Multi-channel system
Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights

Secure

Robust against failure / attack
 trusted to be objective

Transparent

Open source?

Verifiable

Accessible
 Does not reinforce ‘digital divide’

Understandable for all

Politically acceptable o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights

Communications on developments

Communications for the wider electoral community

Communications internationally
Paul Docker
Head of Electoral Modernisation
020 7210 8221
E-mail : paul.docker@dca.gsi.gov.uk
o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
Supports managed development
• Definition of expectations
• Detail of quality management approach including timing
Testing
• Development of test plan
• Execution of test plan
Acceptance
• Conduct of acceptance (linked to testing)
• Recording of acceptance
Review o tre

• Strands of work
• e-counting
• e-voting
• Procurement
• Accreditation
• Registration - identifiers
• CORE
• Service & Overseas voters
• ‘Administrative’ changes
Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights o tre

Constitution Directorate
Strengthening democracy and rights
• e-Counting - accuracy and cost
• e-Voting - access v security
• Procurement - central or local?
• Accreditation - costs and capacity
• Registration - access v security
• CORE - scope and capabilities
• Service & Overseas voters - times and secrecy
• ‘Administrative’ changes - turnout o tre