08 February 2002
The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions announced the go-ahead for 30 councils to pilot new ways of voting or counting at the local and mayoral elections on May 2. The initiatives are designed to counter voter apathy.
Local government minister Nick Raynsford revealed that eight authorities would pilot Internet voting, 13 would test postal ballots and six would try out early voting facilities. Sixteen will also use Internet counting systems to speed up results.
Councils such as Liverpool, Sheffield, and Hackney and Newham in London, will use a combination of the systems to see whether they can be co-ordinated. Raynsford said that the 'earlier success of the postal voting pilots ensured that it would play a key part in the trial'.
But it is electronic voting that has raised most concern. Voters in areas including Crewe and St Albans will be able to cast their vote using the Internet from home, local libraries or council-run kiosks. Other authorities will also pilot mobile phone text messaging and digital TV systems.
A report published by the independent Electoral Reform Society on the same day as Raynsford's announcement – February 5 – recommended that electronic voting systems should involve the use of electronic cards and PIN numbers to limit fraud.
PFfeb2002
