One-stop solution for cantons

Ms Despland, why did the Canton of Neuchâtel choose Swiss Post’s e-voting solution?

A canton cannot operate an e-voting solution on its own, so we looked for a trustworthy partner. The decisive factor for us was the ability to further shape e-voting in Switzerland and build on the experience of the past ten years. The partnership with Swiss Post makes this possible. We are in continuous dialogue and can contribute our requirements and experience.

So the roles in this process are clearly defined?

Yes. Swiss Post provides the infrastructure for the electronic contest and supports us with preparation and configuration. The canton of course retains control over the entire process and the content of the contest.

Ms Gagnaux, how long has the Canton of Fribourg been working with e-voting?

We used e-voting for the first time for the federal votes and for the second round of voting in the cantonal elections on 27 November 2016. For the time being, online voting is available only to the 5,000 citizens of the canton who are resident abroad. However, we are working to make e-voting possible for the entire population in the long term.

What are the factors in favour of Swiss Post’s e-voting solution?

It was important to us that all data remains in Switzerland, is encrypted and anonymous, and that no third parties have access to it. As a canton, we cannot take risks with respect to security. We chose Swiss Post because it provides a secure solution with full end-to-end encryption.