One of the purist and most direct ways to
gauge the popular opinion on an important issue is to hold a referendum. In
this way, you are granting voters the same access to expressing their viewpoint
as they have during a regular election that would see the selection of new
heads of state and legislative representatives. When the referendum ties into
the electoral process itself, the cycle is completed.
This is a big reason why the recent
referendum held in the country of Bulgaria is so important. The results of the
referendum could set a precedent not only in Bulgaria itself, but also in other
democracies around the world. It could also expedite, maintain, or diminish any
progress made in other countries seeking similar movements and advances in its
electoral processes.
The referendum was
first proposed last year and consisted of three different questions. After
some debate among government officials, the national referendum was eventually
narrowed down to
a single question. It asked the people of Bulgaria whether or not they
would support the use of technology to allow for remote voting through
electronic means.
The support for e-voting was largely being
gauged in the context of distance voting. More specifically, the referendum
question was worded as thus:
“Do you support
that remote electronic voting is enabled when elections and referendums are
held?”
Despite what some of the opponents may have
to say about the adoption of e-voting and i-voting technology in modern
elections, the result of the Bulgarian referendum is one of overwhelming
support for the use of remote electronic voting.
The exact figures from different sources
vary somewhere between 69.5
percent and 72.5
percent, but the Bulgarians who did participate in the referendum have
clearly indicated that they support and favor remote electronic voting in
future elections and referendums. Compare this to the mere 26 percent who voted
against the introduction of electronic distance voting. Even in the district
with the least support for the adoption of e-voting, Shoumen, a 57.8 percent
majority still marked their ballots with a “yes.” The capital city of Sofia saw
the largest support for e-voting at 76.5 percent of the vote.
The referendum question itself was also
posed to Bulgarians who are living or working abroad through a
number of overseas polling stations. This only makes sense, as this is the
demographic that would be affected the most by the implementation of remote
e-voting possibilities in the Bulgarian democracy.
Interest in electronic voting technology
and interest in participating in nationally-held elections are also growing in
Bulgaria. When the country last held a referendum in 2013, voter turnout was a
mere 20.22%. With this most recent referendum, that
figure nearly doubled to 39.67%. There is still much room to grow and to
learn, but the positive trend demonstrates promise.
While this level of voter turnout in the
e-voting referendum in Bulgaria is not enough to be legally binding at the
governmental level, which requires a turnout of at least 48.7 percent, it is
above the 20 percent threshold needed in order to require the National Assembly
in Bulgaria to further debate the issue and to keep the conversation moving
forward.
Where the Bulgarian democracy goes from
here remains to be seen, but given the steadfast determination of President
Rosen Plevneliev in pursuing the e-voting agenda, the issue will clearly remain
top of mind and a continued topic of hot debate.
