A trial is being carried out to test whether it would be viable for Norwegians to safely cast their votes in municipal elections from a computer in their home. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is developing the plan, which if successful, would be implemented in the next 2011 municipal elections.

Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, the Minister of Local Government, told the NRK she is excited to implement reforms that will hopefully generate more interest among residents to vote in their local elections. The government will conduct a series of trials in selected municipalities over the next two years.

Security is naturally the highest priority for the government. Kleppa says it is extremely important to protect the integrity of anonymous balloting, a key working point for the trials.

There are three groups involved in the vote-at-home trials: data experts, political analysts, and representative from Norway’s largest political parties. Interestingly, residents interviewed by NRK television claimed they would actually miss the excitement of lining up at the voting poll station. So perhaps convenience will be trumped by the allure of the electoral process.

For more info please see the full article on the Norwegian Post. 

(Photo/Taken by Jarrett Iovine)

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