{"id":1170,"date":"2015-10-14T15:37:29","date_gmt":"2015-10-14T13:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polyas.de\/blog\/?p=1170"},"modified":"2015-10-14T15:37:29","modified_gmt":"2015-10-14T13:37:29","slug":"digital-democracy-is-e-voting-a-wake-up-call-for-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.polyas.de\/blog\/en\/online-elections\/research\/digital-democracy-is-e-voting-a-wake-up-call-for-voters","title":{"rendered":"Digital Democracy: Is E-voting a wake-up call for voters?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is E-Voting? What kind of advantages comes with online voting and are there any weak points?<\/p>\n

\u00a0Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Merkel,<\/a>\u00a0Director of the department \u201eDemocracy and Democratisation\u201c at the science centre for social research in Berlin (WZB), discusses democratic innovations in theory and practice in a published study by the Otto Brenner Stiftung<\/a>. Including the political phenomenon, known as \u201cDigital Democracy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The political scientist looks at the much discussed topic of \u201celectronic voting\u201d and analyses the status quo in a very unagitated and impartial manner. At first though, he discerns a common mistake in the field of electronic voting. What some define as e-Voting, means something completely different to others. So to avoid misconceptions in conversations about e-Voting, we give you an explanation: <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is e-Voting?<\/h2>\n

The first electoral variation is called \u201e\u00a0Direct Recording Electronic (DER) Voting Machines<\/strong>\u201c or \u201eElectronic Voting Machines (EVM)<\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n

Electronic voting machines always imply the employment of electoral computers. In terms of participatory habits the voting doesn\u2019t differ much from a conventional ballot paper. The voter has to appear in person and casts the vote by ticking off the electronic ballot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brother ‘Online’: Internet Voting<\/h3>\n

Although electoral computers are mentioned in one breath with e-Voting, it is actually Internet voting, respectively Remote Electronic Voting<\/strong>, which can be assigned to the definition.<\/p>\n

The vote can be cast online from any terminal device, whether from home or mobile. Here Merkel emphasizes the mayor distinction between the electoral computer and voting online. The online ballot changes the technical procedure of an election, but even more important, it might alter voters\u2019 habits.<\/p>\n

What is e-Voting capable of?<\/h3>\n

There is insufficient empirical evidence that online elections have affected the voter turnout on a national level. Hence opinions differ over remote electronic voting. Proponents of online voting emphasize the chance to awake a voting-tired Europe from the twilight sleep<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n