Parliament approves face-to-face e-voting for residents abroad

Parliament approved a PSD project this Friday to test remote e-voting for residents abroad, with several parties warning of the need to ensure the reliability of this type of modality.

The SDP Diploma, which, in addition to offering a pilot project, also secures the possibility of voting by correspondence in presidential and European elections for voters living abroad, was approved in general with a positive vote by the SDP and Chega, who abstained from PS, IL, PAN and Livre, and no votes from PCP and BE.

The diploma will now be submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees.

In the debate leading up to this vote, Social Democratic MP Hugo Carneiro emphasized that the pilot project in question is simply “an optional test on a large scale”.

“This is an opportunity for us to learn without weakening the electoral system,” he defended.

Despite this, PS MP Pedro Delgado Alves defended that remote e-voting should merit “the greatest caution”, recalling that in France “in two districts” the results of legislative elections were challenged precisely because of the use of this type of modalities.

“As for the flawed system, we must ensure that what we introduce to improve them does not bring even more serious and risky flaws at a time when many far-right populists use the electoral system to threaten democracy and its foundations. “, he warned.

Chega MP Diogo Pacheco Amorim believes that in terms of e-voting, it is necessary to ensure that the system is “fully verifiable” in order to be reliable.

“There is nothing more damaging to a democracy than suspicions that may arise about the reliability and confidentiality of its electoral system,” he warned.

IL MP Patricia Gilvaz said the pilot project will “see if freedom of choice in voting, mobility and maximum flexibility will contribute to a much greater participation of Portuguese communities in the electoral process.”

In addition to this bill, the PSG also approved a draft PS regulation during this voting period, which recommends that the government experiment with mobile e-voting in constituencies.

This project was approved with positive votes from PS, IL and Livre, against PCP and abstentions from PSD, Chega, Bloco de Esquerda and PAN.

Introducing this draft resolution, PS MP Paulo Pisco believes that the eventual adoption of this form in the communities will make “an appropriate contribution to promoting the modernization of the electoral system and reducing the number of abstentions.”

This will allow, “for example, a voter registered in Paris to vote in Luxembourg or Geneva, the same applies to the circle outside of Europe,” he cited an example.

However, PSD MP Hugo Carneiro believes that the PS project “is not aimed at solving any problem and deprives the deputies who signed it of the right of initiative in matters in which the parliament is empowered to legislate.”

The PCP, through the voice of MP Alma Rivera, also believes that the PS proposal is only intended to force the party to “save face” by accusing the Socialists of going “through the Portuguese communities making promises of electronic voting that they know they cannot fulfill. “.

“The PS recommendation is incomprehensible for the simple reason that in Fornos de Algodres the law does not provide for a mobility vote for emigrants,” he joked.

In turn, BE MP Isabelle Pires warned that the U.S. experience of in-person e-voting “has generated a lot of criticism and serious problems.”

“This is a modality associated with risks that, from our point of view, have not yet been calculated and properly protected. We are not opposed to exploring this form, but we cannot help but warn of the risks that other countries have already shown to exist. “, warned.