internetäänestystä

Internetäänestys, also known as online voting or e-voting, refers to the process of casting a ballot over the internet. This can include various forms of elections, such as political polls, corporate shareholder votes, or internal organizational decisions. The core concept involves using a secure internet connection to allow voters to submit their choices remotely, bypassing traditional methods like in-person voting at polling stations or mail-in ballots.

The primary advantages cited for internetäänestys often include increased accessibility for voters who may be geographically distant, disabled, or otherwise unable to vote in person. It is also argued to potentially increase voter turnout due to its convenience. Furthermore, the digitization of the voting process can, in theory, lead to faster tabulation of results.

However, significant concerns surround internetäänestys, primarily revolving around security and integrity. Issues such as the potential for hacking, malware, denial-of-service attacks, and voter coercion are major obstacles. Ensuring the anonymity of voters while simultaneously verifying their eligibility and preventing duplicate votes presents a complex technical and logistical challenge. The verifiability of the vote, meaning the ability to independently confirm that votes were recorded as cast and counted accurately, is another critical area of debate and development. Consequently, widespread adoption of internetäänestys for high-stakes public elections has been limited due to these persistent security and trust issues.