France’s Landmark Legislative Elections and the Rise of Mobile Voting

The snap legislative elections in France, held on 30 June and 7 July, captured worldwide attention as observers expressed concerns that the far-right party, National Rally (RN), might secure an unprecedented majority in the French legislature since World War II. Although the RN did not perform as well as anticipated in the polls, a coalition of leftist parties, along with President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, successfully formed a parliamentary majority.

However, beyond the political implications, this election was historically significant for another reason: it marked the organization of the largest-ever mobile political election. While online voting was limited to French citizens residing abroad, over 1.1 million votes were cast entirely online across the two rounds of voting, representing an impressive 75% of total votes from the French diaspora.

The Advantages of Mobile Voting

The benefits of mobile voting are substantial. With more than 90% of Europeans owning smartphones, mobile voting—also referred to as internet or online voting—provides a significantly more convenient way for citizens to cast their votes. Voters can exercise their democratic rights from virtually anywhere using their phones, eliminating the need to travel to polling stations and endure long waiting times. Additionally, mobile voting can be conducted on various electronic devices, such as tablets or laptops, thus greatly enhancing voting accessibility.

This method is often the only viable option for numerous voters, including those living abroad, individuals with disabilities, and people displaced due to educational or professional commitments.

Mobile Voting: A Preferred Method

Mobile voting has gained immense popularity. In preparation for the snap election, France established a comprehensive network of physical polling booths across 213 cities worldwide to facilitate in-person voting for its citizens living abroad. Nevertheless, when given the choice between in-person voting and online voting, three-quarters of French citizens abroad opted for mobile voting.

Several other EU countries have also embraced mobile voting systems to varying extents. Estonia, a forerunner in online voting, has offered an online voting option for its citizens in national and European elections for nearly two decades. The recent European parliamentary elections in Estonia saw 51% of voters choosing to vote online, marking the highest proportion to date and reaffirming the trend that voters prefer mobile voting when given the option.

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Outside of the EU, mobile voting is also gaining traction. Approximately two-thirds of US states permit military personnel to vote online, a critical option for those stationed in remote locations. In the absence of online voting options, military and overseas citizens in the US often resort to mail-in ballots, which can lead to delays, disenfranchising many eligible voters. A US government study revealed that at least 40% of military and overseas voters who wished to participate in the last presidential election faced challenges in receiving and returning paper ballots on time. Mobile voting presents a viable solution to these issues, with over 300,000 ballots submitted online during the 2020 US presidential election, albeit a small fraction of eligible voters abroad, it marks an encouraging step forward.

Increasing Voter Turnout

By enhancing voter accessibility, mobile voting yields another significant advantage: it boosts voter turnout. In a pilot program conducted near Seattle, Washington, voter turnout doubled when a local district offered mobile voting to all eligible voters. Over the subsequent three elections, turnout surged by more than 200%.

Higher voter turnout strengthens the legitimacy of the democratic process, ensuring that elected officials’ decisions align with the public’s will. This, in turn, fortifies democracy. Unfortunately, voter turnout across Europe has been declining in recent years, with only 32% of Romanians participating in their national parliamentary elections in 2020 and just 39% of Portuguese citizens voting in their presidential election in 2021. Turnout in European elections tends to be even lower, exemplified by only 21% of Hungarians voting in the latest European elections in June. Similarly, primary elections in the US for congressional seats rarely exceed a 30% turnout rate.

This trend of low voter turnout can be attributed to a sense of apathy or disillusionment with the political process, leading to a political environment where elected officials may not feel compelled to address the needs of all citizens to secure re-election. This creates a vicious cycle where underrepresented groups withdraw from politics, believing their votes hold little value, further eroding trust in political institutions.

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By removing obstacles to voting for all demographics, mobile voting has the potential to restore confidence in political institutions and invigorate democracy.

Mitigating Security Concerns

Critics of mobile voting often cite security as their primary concern. While security challenges exist in any voting system, advancements in technology can now ensure voter confidentiality and security in mobile voting that surpasses traditional, offline methods. Despite initial loading delays experienced by some overseas French voters, these issues were promptly resolved, allowing for over 1.1 million votes to be cast without security breaches.

Modern electronic platforms are designed to tackle key challenges associated with mobile voting, including voter authentication, privacy, vote integrity, and the ability to audit results. Through sophisticated encryption and end-to-end verifiability, systems like the one implemented in Estonia demonstrate that it is possible to establish a secure and convenient voting process on a large scale. End-to-end verifiability empowers voters to independently verify the voting process, ensuring their votes remain secure against phishing attempts, malware attacks, data breaches, and other potential risks.

Recent developments in mobile voting technology present a transformative opportunity to enhance electoral processes and fortify democracies globally. France’s experience illustrates that large-scale mobile voting can be organized within a short timeframe with minimal complications and reliable outcomes. As mobile voting technology continues to evolve and gain public confidence, it is likely to become increasingly standard in electoral practices.

In an era where democracy faces mounting pressures worldwide, mobile voting offers a promising avenue for revitalization. Encouraging active citizen participation is essential for healthy democracies, and mobile voting has the potential to energize the electorate, fostering a virtuous cycle of increased voter engagement, greater electoral accountability, and improved policies and outcomes.

Remi Meehan is a doctoral researcher at the Centre for International Studies (CERI) at Sciences Po, and Bradley Tusk is a philanthropist and co-founder of the Mobile Voting movement.

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