Hääletus

Hääletus is the Estonian term for voting or a vote, referring to the formal process by which individuals express a choice or preference in decision-making bodies, elections and referendums. It encompasses methods of casting and counting votes, legal frameworks that regulate eligibility and procedure, and practices intended to ensure fairness, secrecy and transparency.

Common types of hääletus include public (open) voting, where choices are made visibly, and secret voting, where ballots are anonymized to protect voter privacy. In democratic elections hääletus is used to select representatives or decide policy questions, and can be organized at local, regional and national levels. Decision rules vary: plurality, majority, supermajority and proportional representation systems each shape how votes translate into outcomes. Referendums and internal organizational votes (for example, in assemblies or boards) are other typical contexts.

Methods of hääletus range from in-person paper ballots and postal voting to growing use of electronic and internet voting. Estonia is notable for implementing secure internet voting for public elections, which has influenced debates on accessibility, security and trust. Administration is usually handled by an electoral commission with procedures for voter registration, ballot integrity, counting and dispute resolution. Voter turnout, ballot validity and safeguards against coercion and fraud are central concerns in the study and practice of hääletus.