New technologies used in elections must be in line with democratic standards, international experts say

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are becoming ever more important to the election process, which brings both challenges and opportunities, experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in presenting a new edition of the Handbook for Observation of ICT in Elections at an event during the 2024 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

“The new handbook continues to improve ODIHR’s existing methodology for the observation and assessment of ICT used during voting and counting processes and includes new aspects such as considerations for electronic registration, verification of voters and candidates, and cybersecurity issues,” said Meaghan Fitzgerald, Head of ODIHR’s Election Department. “It also offers a detailed checklist of questions to consider when introducing ICT.”

“The use of ICT in elections must respect the principles of transparency and accountability to enjoy public trust and wide acceptance,” said Priit Vinkel, an international election expert from Estonia.

Nearly all OSCE states use some form of ICT in their elections now, however different their application may be. While some use these technologies for casting or counting votes, others employ them in processes such as voter registration, identification and verification, or managing voting results.

“It is fundamental to have a broad and inclusive consultation process before introducing election technology,” said Erton Sinani, Chief of Staff of the Albanian State Election Commission. “This new edition provides election observers and OSCE participating States with comprehensive, practical guidance on introducing ICT-based election solutions.”

Today’s event brought together international election experts, professionals from national election management bodies, and civil society organizations. It addressed the most acute challenges in the OSCE region related to the use of ICT in elections, with a particular focus on cybersecurity and protecting the integrity of elections.