E-Voting in Austria legal requirements and first steps

Abstract

Whereas e-government mainly focuses on strengthening the efficiency of public government processes, it is the goal of e-democracy to improve democratic processes. Law can be defined as a communication-system between the legislative authority and the people. Using electronic media for democratic instruments can make this communication process easier. But there are also dangers and risks. The topic e-democracy and e-voting is situated at the interface between law, politics and technology. This paper deals with the legal point of view: Which requirements does the law define for internet-based political communication, especially for computer-aided voting procedures in Austria? The law, respectively the constitutional law, defines clear and strict rules for voting and the instruments of direct democracy. If one wants to use computer-aided communication in these fields, the techniques eventually used must fulfil the relevant legal requirements.