§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they agree with the assessment of Rebecca Mercuri, assistant professor of Computer Sciences at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, that e-voting gives far greater scope for electoral fraud than existing polling methods; and what are the implications of this for their policy towards e-voting. [HL6049]
48WA
§ Lord Rooker:Our consultation paper In the Service of Democracy (July 2002) set out the Government's proposed approach to taking forward e-voting, including promoting with the independent Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association pilots in local elections. We are aware of Professor Mercuri's work and her views, and as part of our wide-ranging consultation officials have met with the professor and we will be looking carefully at what she says, along with all the many other comments and representations we receive. We have already made it clear that before an electronic voting system can be established, it will be vital to ensure that the system is at least as secure as existing methods and that people trust the system.