Australians are ready for e-voting: Australia Post

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Australians expect to be able to vote online in the next federal election, according to a survey from Australia Post.

The survey found that the top reasons for supporting e-voting include making it quicker to vote by avoiding long waits in line (65%) and quicker to declare a result by making the counting process automatic (59%).

Australia Post appears to be using the survey to make the case for it being granted responsibility for delivering e-voting. In a report detailing the findings, Australia Post said it is building digital solutions that can provide the security, verification and anonymity requirements of an e-voting system.

This project involves the development of an open digital identity system providing a single digital identity credential that can be verified using biometric technology.

Likewise, because nearly three-quarters of respondents believe that it is important that there be the choice to vote in person, Australia Post said its network of post offices across the country could serve as the locations for this in-person voting.

An election management platform should provide online enrolment and identity verification for first-time voters and the ability to update enrolment details online, the report states. At the voting stage, it should provide real-time voter mark off.

Australia Post said an electronic voting system could comprise votes through standalone custom voting machines connected only through LAN rather than the wider internet, a dedicated computer or network for casting online votes at polling centres, mobile polling teams visiting locations with mobile devices, as well as potentially allowing voters to use their own devices to vote over the internet.

But the report notes that while allowing votes over personal devices using the internet would increase convenience, it would leave the process open to data manipulation and cyber attack without the proper controls.

The report suggests using blockchain technology to ensure the integrity of online votes, and notes that Australia Post is already investing in the technology.

More than a quarter (28%) of traditional voters say the risk of cyber attacks is a barrier to choosing to vote electronically, while 23% are worried about privacy and 19% worry about their vote being traced back to them.

A major advantage of electronic voting is that it would make the counting process virtually instantaneous. The survey found that 75% of voters say they would trust the accuracy of election results counted using automated technology.

“There are a number of important issues that need to be addressed so that eVoting can become one of the ways Australians vote. Based on our preliminary research, security, privacy and anonymity are paramount,” Australia Post Executive General Manager for Trusted eCommerce Solutions Andrew Walduck commented.

“Part of what’s needed to assure Australians in an eVoting solution is confidence and trust. We have a strong track record in nationwide service delivery, experience in working across the public and private sectors and strong credentials in digital service delivery, particularly in the areas of identity verification and transaction systems. We already manage private and sensitive citizen information.”

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