Guernsey Press

Sacc chairman in electronic voting warning

PROPOSALS for a new system of electronic voting in the States cannot be both more efficient and more transparent than the current system, it has been warned.

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The States Assembly and Constitution Committee will be bringing a report back to the Assembly this winter, with various options for electronic voting.

However, chairman Matt Fallaize, pictured, said that States members were likely to have to choose between either transparency or efficiency if they opt for an electronic system.

'We will be setting out various ways in which electronic voting can be introduced, but no way will be both more efficient and more transparent than the present system,' he said.

'If the States want electronic voting they will have to be clear to Sacc whether they want a system that is more efficient but probably less transparent, or more transparent but probably less efficient.'

The system can be more transparent by all the votes being recorded electronically and then read out during the States meeting, but this would be more time consuming than the present system.

Time could be saved by not announcing who voted which way during the meeting, but this would be less transparent.

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