Indonesia’s Election Supervisory Body Questions E-Voting Proposal, Saying Germany Abandoned It

Indonesia’s debate over e-voting has drawn a warning from the country’s election supervisory body, which says digital voting could make the process harder for ordinary citizens to monitor. Bawaslu member Totok Hariyono pointed to Germany, where the constitutional court ruled in 2009 that e-voting was unconstitutional.

“The substance of democracy is that every citizen must be able to control the process,” Totok said in West Java on Thursday. He argued that people without information-technology expertise must also be able to oversee an election, making public control a central issue in any decision about digital voting.

Bawaslu member Lolly Suhendi said the proposal needed a complete assessment before it could move forward. That study would have to account for Indonesia’s geography, and any rollout might need to begin gradually rather than cover the entire country at once. She added that technology should make voting easier for citizens, not create new obstacles.

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The substance of democracy is that every citizen must be able to control the process.

Bawaslu is preparing proposed changes for a revision of the Election Law and is considering whether e-voting should be included. The body is collecting issues for its recommendations while the process continues.

The General Elections Commission has previously taken a more open view. Commissioner Betty Epsilon Idroos said e-voting could help address high logistics costs, possible human errors in counting and tabulation, lengthy recapitulation, limited access for voters overseas, and accessibility needs among voters with disabilities. She said the assessment must cover digital technology as well as regulations, institutions, human resources, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and public trust.

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It has to be prepared thoroughly.