e-Voting is essential, says Chloe Smith MP

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North will today chair the launch of Webroots Democracy’s report on secure online voting. The report argues for the introduction of online voting in time for the 2020 election.

 

Commenting on the research Chloe said:

 

“I am pleased to work once again with Webroots Democracy to argue for online voting. I often take a generational view of democracy. It is an extremely unusual thing for Generation Y not to be able to do something online. 

 

“We shop, we bank, we date, we chat, we organise with ease.  However, we vote entirely on paper.  It’s alien to young people, and indeed to anyone who appreciates the capability of the internet.  It’s also ineffective:  we communicate online with people all the time but we lack the final “one-click” to clinch the deal in democracy when the time comes.”

 

Online voting has been subject to intense debate around security and cost considerations, despite the fact that many of these concerns pertain to paper voting as well and postal voting in particular. 

 

Chloe said:

 

“Sensibly legislating and implementing e-voting can be done if politicians admit that it is almost immoral by now to fail to consider it. It is a sizeable project and we should start it. Moving voting online does not need to scare us.

 

“This is too obvious an area for reform.  My generation is politically interested, but turned off by traditional politics. That means that today’s politicians have to engage today’s young people once again in the nuts and bolts of democracy.”

 

First elected at 27, Chloe is one of Britain’s youngest MPs. During her time as Minister for Constitutional Reform in the Cabinet Office, she was responsible for electoral policy and helped put voter registration online.