Estonia, known for its digital innovation, was the first country in Europe to introduce online voting in 2005. The new law reflects the shift in citizens’ behavior towards smart devices and aims to make e-Estonia accessible on these platforms. Over half of all votes in the March 2023 parliamentary elections in Estonia were cast digitally, showcasing the country’s commitment to digitization and e-government.
The proposed law on electronic voting will now allow voting through special applications on mobile devices in addition to computers. However, this change will not come into effect until October, meaning it cannot be used in the upcoming elections for the European Parliament in June. Despite the success of online voting in Estonia, the procedure remains controversial in many places due to concerns about reliability.
The Baltic state, or e-Estonia as it likes to call itself, has embraced digitization and offers citizens the convenience of conducting almost all transactions online in their daily lives. Estonia’s experience with online voting and digital governance sets it apart as a pioneer in Europe.