The citizens who will be unable to go to polling stations on election day will have an alternative – to vote through the Internet. A chapter on electronic voting, e-voting, is to be included in the new Electoral Code. Proposals for amending the electoral legislation were presented by the Central Election Commission, IPN reports.
CEC member Alexandru Musteața said that there were analyzed two options for ensuring absentee voting -postal voting and electronic voting by using electronic identification means using a web platform. An interinstitutional group worked on the second concept. As traditional voting on paper, e-voting will consist of two steps: identification and voting.
Electronic voting does not replace traditional voting and represents an alternative for the voter. The voter will be able to choose between going to the polling station and voting online. Electronic voting could also be in advance. According to experts, the election through the Internet should take place during several days in a row, ahead of the traditional election, for example, from Monday through Thursday before election day, which is usually on a Sunday. In case of multiple voting, the last vote will be considered the valid one. Alexandru Musteața said voting during several days ensures safety if the citizen is constrained, for example, by someone who influences their voting option. Even if this was constrained, the voter can go home and change the vote.
The CEC member said that a concern is related to the cybersecurity of the system, especially because a number of states, including Moldova, faced cyber-attacks in the context of the war in Ukraine. But cybersecurity is within the remit not of the Central Election Commission, but of other state institutions. “Electronic voting should be implemented in parallel with the strengthening of cybersecurity so that this system is well-protected and the citizen is sure that the vote remains unchanged,” stated Alexandru Musteața.
