Electronic voting and null votes: an ongoing debate

Abstract

The debate over the implementation of e-voting systems still needs to respond to the question of the presence of null votes. Null votes, whose invalidity is due to a contravention of electoral norms, have become a new way through which the electors show their political discontent. The political dimension of null votes requires that e-voting systems ensure and guarantee the presence of null votes as an electoral option. Finally, it is necessary to broach the oft disputed topic of null votes attributed to technology, that is to say, the loss of valid votes due to technical malfunctions of the e-voting system and how to legally address this issue. Estonia, Australia and Norway provide useful examples when looking at technical null votes.