A Risk Assessment Framework for Electronic Voting

Abstract

E-voting is one of the most basic uses of technology in e-democracy. It offers considerable scope for faster, more efficient and more accurate elections and referenda, not to mention the possibility of more frequent public consultation. However, it is also deeply controversial and has been subject to criticism on a number of fronts, not least from people in the computer industry and citizens concerned about the potential for widespread electoral error or fraud. In Ireland, these factors contributed to the government having to abandon plans to introduce electronic voting for the European and local elections in June 2004. This paper looks at the analysis of risks that was one of the factors that led to this decision and proposes a framework for future risk analysis of e-voting.