Estonia, a leader in digital innovation, was the first country in Europe to introduce online voting in 2005. The new law aims to make e-Estonia accessible on mobile devices through special applications, reflecting the shift in citizens’ behavior towards smart devices. Over half of all votes in the March 2023 parliamentary elections were cast digitally, demonstrating Estonia’s commitment to digitization and e-government.
However, the change will not take effect until October, meaning it cannot be used in the upcoming elections for the European Parliament in June. Despite its success in Estonia, online voting remains controversial due to concerns about reliability. The Baltic state has embraced digitization and offers citizens the convenience of conducting almost all transactions online in their daily lives. Estonia’s experience with online voting and digital governance sets it apart as a pioneer in Europe.
