Turkey Gears Up for Electronic Elections
Ankara University and the Supreme Electoral Council in Turkey are working together to explore the possibility of implementing electronic voting in the country. Currently, electronic voting is only allowed for Turkish voters residing abroad, in accordance with the Law No. 298 on Basic Provisions of Elections and Voter Registers. However, there are efforts to expand electronic voting to local government elections and beyond.
A working group consisting of experts from Ankara University’s Faculties of Political Sciences, Law, and Engineering, as well as the Supreme Electoral Council, has been formed to examine electronic voting examples from other countries. The goal is to create a system that can be initially used in student representative elections in various organizations and universities. After addressing any potential issues, the system is intended to be integrated into parliamentary, presidential, and local administration elections.
Ankara University Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Ünüvar has confirmed that the university is providing scientific and technical support for the initiative. The working group is focusing on election systems, election mathematics, and the legal framework required for implementing electronic voting. Discussions are underway to ensure the reliability of the elections, software security, and legal compliance.
While the project is expected to take a considerable amount of time to come to fruition, the working group is currently aiming to introduce electronic voting in student representative elections at universities. The implementation of electronic voting is seen as a way to streamline the election process, improve security, provide immediate access to results, and enhance the overall reliability of the electoral system. However, legal preparations must also be made to establish the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic voting in Turkey.
