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Electronic voting, in which voters cast their election ballots via digital terminals installed at polling stations, can be expected to provide quick, accurate ballot counting. However, it is also fraught with concerns about computer system troubles.
It is hoped that the results of elections this time that used electronic voting will be carefully examined and the method’s effectiveness and security determined.
The mayoral election and a by-election for a municipal assembly member for Shijonawate, Osaka Prefecture — both held on Dec. 22 — marked the first time in eight years since 2016 that electronic voting was used in Japan.
More than 200 tablet terminals were installed at 16 polling stations in the city, and voters cast their ballots by selecting candidates’ names with a stylus pen.
To prevent double voting, the screen of the terminal was locked after each vote, and in the event of a malfunction, terminals were replaced with a spare unit. For security reasons, the terminals were not connected to any communications networks, and the voting results were stored on the devices’ recording media.
No major disruptions were reported. The careful preparations in advance seem to have proved effective.
Electronic voting was introduced only for local elections in 2002. It can be implemented if local governments establish ordinances.
So far, a total of 25 elections have been held in 10 municipalities using the system. However, momentum for the introduction of electronic voting waned for several reasons, including the problems that occurred in an election for municipal assembly members for Kani, Gifu Prefecture, in 2003 for which a Supreme Court ruling was finalized that the election was invalid.
Many local government employees are needed for ballot counting. However, the number of such employees has been decreasing year by year from about 3.15 million in 2002 to about 2.8 million last year. Improving operational efficiency and reducing the burden on staff are essential for maintaining elections.
Therefore, the success or failure of the latest round of electronic voting has attracted attention among local governments, but many of them are taking a wait-and-see attitude due to their concern about potential problems.
The high initial cost is also a factor in their reluctance to introduce electronic voting. In the case of Shijonawate, securing the terminals and other costs reached about ¥45 million.
There is a system in which the central government provides financial support to local governments that implement electronic voting, but some local authorities have voiced their concerns that the amount is inadequate. Others are concerned that even if electronic voting were to be introduced for local elections, voters would be confused if those polls coincided with national elections, in which electronic voting is not permitted.
Electronic voting might also lead to the introduction of internet voting, in which voters can cast their ballots from their homes using personal computers and other devices.
The hope is that the Shijonawate municipal government and the central government will verify the management method and crisis management system of electronic voting.
If confidence in the effectiveness and security of electronic voting increases, more local governments will introduce it in the future. If so, the initial cost will be lowered, and expanded use of electronic voting for national elections should come into view.
