Introduction to Internet Voting
Requirements
- Access to a computer with an internet connection
- General interest in internet voting
Description
In 2005 Estonia became the first country in the world to have nation-wide local elections where people could cast binding votes over the internet. This world premiere was followed by successful implementation of e-voting at all levels of elections: local, national and European. To present day, Estonia has held eight elections over ten years, where people could cast legally binding votes over the internet.
In this course you will learn, what is the institutional and technical set-up behind internet voting, how does a typical e-voter look like, how fast do people actually vote online and how is it related to their age. The course will also examine how exactly are costs related to the decision to vote and whether vote verification has increased trust towards e-voting.
By enrolling to the course, you will have an access to the latest findings related to the main developments in the field of e-voting in Estonia. The course relies on the research findings published in the book “E-voting in Estonia: Technological Diffusion and Other Developments Over Ten Years” (by our MOOC authors, Dr. Kristjan Vassil and Mihkel Solvak). The course and the book are unique in employing a wealth of empirical evidence - including 10 years of survey data on e-voting, actual log data on voting sessions and aggregate election data - to demonstrate the development and usage of internet voting.
The following course is a mini-version of a 8-week course "Diffusion and Impact of Internet Voting" offered by the University of Tartu. If you are interested in accessing the full course and in receiving 2 ECTS credits from the university, please visit the University of Tartu MOOCs page.
This e-course is created with the support of the European Social Fund programme "Increasing Digital Literacy" and Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.
Who this course is for:
- The course primarily targets non-ICT students and professionals, who are interested in widening their knowledge about internet voting; but applicants from ICT backgrounds and other external participants are also welcome to the course.
Instructors
- 4.3 Instructor Rating
- 62 Reviews
- 3,449 Students
- 1 Course
Anna Beitane is a Project Manager at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies. She received her master’s degree from the University of Tartu in European Union – Russia Studies (cum laude), and obtained her undergraduate degree in International Relations and Security Studies from the University of Bradford (United Kingdom). One of her main responsibilities involves management and implementation of e-course and MOOCs at the institute.
- 4.3 Instructor Rating
- 62 Reviews
- 3,449 Students
- 1 Course
Kristjan Vassil is a senior research fellow of technology studies at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu. He holds a PhD degree in political science from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. He is currently the head of Center of IT Impact Studies (CITIS) – an integrated research and teaching program focusing on impact assessment of e-government and prototyping of new data-based predictive public e-services.
Kristjan’s research focuses on the impact of ICT’s on individual level behavior, impact assessment of e-governance and predictive modeling. Kristjan is one of the leading investigators in e-voting studies conducted in Estonia since 2005. He also serves as vice rector for research at the University of Tartu.
- 4.3 Instructor Rating
- 62 Reviews
- 3,449 Students
- 1 Course
Mihkel Solvak is a senior research fellow of technology studies at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu. He holds a PhD degree in political science from the University of Tartu, Estonia. His research focuses on legislative studies, electoral behavior, predictive modeling and impact assessment of e-governance.