Temptations of turnout and modernisation: e-voting discourses in the UK and the Netherlands

Purpose – The aim of the research described was to identify reasons for differences betweendiscourses on electronic voting in the UK and The Netherlands, from a qualitative point of view.

Design/methodology/approach – From both countries, eight e-voting experts were interviewed ontheir expectations, risk estimations, cooperation and learning experiences. The design was basedon the theory of strategic niche management. A qualitative analysis of the data was performed torefine the main variables and identify connections.

Findings – The results show that differences in these variables can partly explain the variations inthe embedding of e-voting in the two countries, from a qualitative point of view. Key differencesinclude the goals of introducing e-voting, concerns in relation to verifiability and authenticity, the roleof the Electoral Commissions and a focus on learning versus a focus on phased introduction.

Research limitations/implications – The current study was limited to two countries. Moreempirical data can reveal other relevant subvariables, and contribute to a framework that can improveour understanding of the challenges of electronic voting.

Originality/value – This study shows the context-dependent character of discussions oninformation security. It can be informative for actors involved in e-voting in the UK andThe Netherlands, and other countries using or considering electronic voting.