A new survey by Deloitte has found that the majority of Swiss citizens are in favour of “e-voting”, or voting on the internet. In a country with more than its fair share of elections and referendums, the survey found a clear majority for the simplicity and flexibility e-voting provides.
84 percent of the Swiss population supports e-voting in elections, Deloitte announced on Tuesday. The survey, carried out in September 2021, asked 1.000 people of voting age in both urban and rural areas about voting in Switzerland and how government services could be provided electronically.
Of the 84 percent in favour, 68 percent cited online voting's simplicity as the main for their support and 72 percent saw time-saving as the real advantage, with a majority also appreciating its flexibility. Only 8 percent of those surveyed said they saw no added value in e-services.
A clear 84 percent majority wanted to order their passport or ID card for Switzerland entirely online, as opposed to the hybrid system in place at the moment. 38 percent of those surveyed said that they now have a great affinity for online government resources since the start of the pandemic.
While there is support for other government services - from visas to residence permits to taxation - to become available online, 21 percent of respondents said their confidence in “e-government” had declined during the pandemic. They noted that if the government is going to use online services, they must be government-run and not outsourced to private companies.