Procedural Security and Social Acceptance in E-Voting

Electronic voting in all its different variations receives substantial criticism on the level of security it presently provides. Given the established limitations of technical means to provide security this paper discusses the procedural security aspect of the e-electoral process. Two main areas of potential benefits from procedural security measures derive from this discussion. The first is the expansion of the existing level of e-voting security. The second is the impact of procedural safeguards in the voters´ perception of security and the use of such safeguards to support the social acceptance of the e-electoral process. This paper explores the concept of procedural security, presents some of the measures adopted in the 2003 UK e-voting pilots, relates procedural security to the issue of social acceptance for the new e-electoral practices and indicates some areas of future work.