What can the Baltic community learn from France when it comes to internet voting and electoral preparation?

About this Event

In 2012 French citizens abroad were approved to participate in legislative elections through internet voting. The option was dropped five years later in 2017 due to cyber security concerns but as of this year the option is back on the table. This year, France approved a new Internet-voting platform for the consular elections of May 2020, as the proper security measures were in place and a positive opinion was handed down by the members of the electoral commission. Building on the discussion started by our first event, The Baltic Digital Bubble – Post Covid-19 Governance and Voting, which took place earlier this month and examined the electoral preparations across the Baltics nations, we continue the series with a focus on the French case study.

PROGRAM & SPEAKERS:

The panel will explore the cybersecurity, institutional, citizen and political perspectives of voting and electoral preparations in France to a general audience.

Moderated by Ieva Ilves (San Francisco, USA), Advisor to the President of Latvia on Information and Digital Policy

Introductory remarks: Skaidra Puodziunas (Toronto, Canada) | Advisor at the Ontario Digital Service, Ontario Government | Member of Global Lithuanian Lithuanian Leaders (GLL) and the Lithuanian World Community

Cybersecurity perspective: Guillaume Poupard (Paris, France) | Head of The National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI)

Institutional perspective: Claire Lignieres-Counathe (Vilnius, Lithuania)| Ambassador of France to Lithuania

On Lithuania’s pursuits to learn from France: Nerijus Kaučikas (TBC) (Vilnius, Lithuania)| Advisor to the President of Lithuania, the Environment and Infrastructure Group.

Concluding remarks: Rimvydas Baltaduonis (New York, USA) | Associate Professor (Economics & International Affairs), Gettysburg College | Co-chairman of the Parliamentary Commission of LR Seimas & the Lithuanian World Community | Coordinator of the Voter Engagement Campaign “DABAR”

About the organizers of this event

This event is being organized with a joint task force “LTiVote”, which was formed between GLL Think & Do Tank and the Economic Cooperation Commission of the Lithuanian World Community in order to educate and engage policy makers in Lithuania about the potential of introducing internet voting in the Lithuanian parliamentary elections.

PAST EVENTS:

The past, present and future of voting and e-governance in The Baltics

About this Event

COVID-19 remains a global threat, challenging not only everyday lives, but also our systems of governance. While the Baltics are introducing innovative ways of reopening their economies from pandemic travel bubbles to open air cafes, attention is turning to the future of elections. For Lithuania in particular, the country is set to hold a National Parliamentary election in October, 2020. If the health crisis persists, how will Baltic citizens vote safely? Latvia has already postponed its municipal elections. If the health crisis persists, how will Baltic citizens vote safely? Is adapting Estonia’s e-governance model across the Baltics the way forward? Can digital technologies be deployed on time to avoid the postponement of elections?

Moderated by Colleen Elliot (Toronto, Canada), the panel will explore the past, present and future of voting in the Baltics catered to a general audience.

PROGRAM & SPEAKERS:

About the organizers of this event

This event is being organized with a joint task force “LTiVote”, which was formed between GLL Think & Do Tank and the Economic Cooperation Commission of the Lithuanian World Community in order to educate and engage policy makers in Lithuania about the potential of introducing internet voting in the Lithuanian parliamentary elections.