The majority of the Swiss citizens are convinced of the benefits of e-voting, according to a representative survey carried out by the research institute gfs-Zurich on behalf of the Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV FSA).
The main argument in favour of the introduction of electronic voting is the simplification of the voting process during an election or a vote, the federation said in a statement on Thursday. According to those in favour of the idea, it would also increase political participation.
Electronic voting would also remove many barriers for the blind and visually impaired, claims the SBV FSA. Today, they can only vote with the help of a third party.
Opponents of e-voting, on the other hand, are concerned by the possible manipulation of elections and votes.
A total of 1,006 people aged 18 and over, living in the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland, took part in the survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%.
Tentative return
A pilot project to allow e-voting in some cantons was abandoned in 2019 amid technical and security concerns of the system run by Swiss Post. However, at the beginning of March, cantons Basel City, St Gallen and Thurgau were given the go-ahead to resume e-voting trials.
Swiss citizens abroad from those three cantons – as well as people with disabilities in Basel City – will be able to use the system to vote electronically in the national votes on June 18. This represents around 65,000 people.
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