JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem <p>The eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government (JeDEM) is a Q3 Open Access e-journal offering a rigorous double-blind peer-review. Submitting to and publishing in JeDEM is free of charge (no processing charges or APCs).</p> <p>The journal aims to bridge innovative, insightful and stimulating research, testing and findings with practice and the work conducted by governments, NPOs, NGOs and professionals. JeDEM encourages articles which come from different disciplines or adopt an interdisciplinary approach, including eVoting, ePolitics, eSociety, business IT, applied computer gaming and simulation, cyberpsychology, usability, decision sciences, marketing, economics, psychology, sociology, media studies, communication studies, political science, philosophy, law, policy, legislation, and ethics. JeDEM provides up-to-date articles with ideas to be discussed, used and implemented, whilst at the same time also being a repository of knowledge. We encourage a diversity of methods and theoretical lenses, including critical studies in these thematic fields.</p> <p>We publish theoretical, practical and empirical research in the categories research papers, invited papers, project descriptions and reflections. Authors can submit to JeDEM as a response to a special issue call for papers or as an ongoing submission. For publication sections and their policies as well as information on indexing see the section <a title="About the Journal" href="https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/about" target="_self">About the Journal</a>.</p> <p><strong>What are the main benefits of publishing with JeDEM?</strong></p> <ul> <li class="show">Our journal is truly open access: Publishing and reading is free of charge.</li> <li class="show">JeDEM publishes a variety of publications: ongoing and completed research articles are selected after a rigorous blind peer review by experts in the field. We also publish reflections and project descriptions.</li> <li class="show">JeDEM is indexed with <a href="https://www.ebsco.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EBSCO</a>, <a href="https://doaj.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOAJ</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google scholar</a>, <a href="https://www.scopus.com/search/form.uri?display=basic">Scopus, </a> <a href="https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100939681&amp;tip=sid&amp;clean=0">Scimago</a> and the <a href="https://pkp.sfu.ca/ohs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Knowledge Project metadata harvester</a>. Each article is identified with a <a href="https://www.doi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOI (Digital Object Identifier). </a></li> <li class="show">Due to the online publishing format, our publication process is comparably quicker than the one of traditional journals.</li> <li class="show">Papers published as articles that are not peer-reviewed can be extended and re-used for further publication, e.g. as regular peer-reviewed journal article.</li> </ul> Department for E-Governance and Administration en-US JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government 2075-9517 <p><strong><img src="https://jedem.org/public/site/images/csemiczky/cc_by2.png" /><br />JeDEM</strong> is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal (ISSN: 2075-9517). All journal content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International</a></p> Internet voting: A research agenda https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/965 Adrià Rodríguez-Pérez Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz David Duenas-Cid Thomas Hofer Iuliia Spycher-Krivonosova Copyright (c) 2024 Adrià Rodríguez-Pérez, Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz, David Duenas-Cid, Thomas Hofer, Iuliia Spycher-Krivonosova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.965 Investigating transparency dimensions for internet voting https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/916 <p>While internet voting is argued to have the potential to improve election processes, concerns about security risks remain one of its main adoption barriers. These concerns are furthermore aggravated by the lack of transparency of internet voting systems that are often perceived as a “black box”. Moreover, there is a research gap in conceptualising transparency and studying voters’ attitudes towards transparency in internet voting. In this work, we aim to address this gap by (1) Conducting a systematic literature review, from which we identified five dimensions of transparency; (2) Developing a questionnaire (Transparency Dimensions of internet voting, TDIV) to assess voters’ attitudes regarding the correlation of these dimensions with transparency; and (3) Conducting an online study (N=500) to investigate voters’ attitudes towards transparency in internet voting. We conclude that providing information about the security of the internet voting system, testing it by independent experts for security vulnerabilities prior to the election, monitoring the election process and verifying its integrity, and providing a remedy for security breaches while holding the responsible parties accountable, are perceived by voters as necessary, and enhance transparency in internet voting systems.</p> Samuel Agbesi Jurlind Budurushi Asmita Dalela Oksana Kulyk Copyright (c) 2024 Samuel Agbesi, Jurlind Budurushi, Asmita Dalela, Oksana Kulyk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.916 Trust and electoral technologies throughout the election cycle: Comparing the USA, Netherlands, Poland, and Kenya https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/922 <p>Technology and election organization are increasingly intertwined, encompassing voting systems and supporting infrastructure. This interaction puts at the spotlight aspects related to trust and public confidence, fuelled by threat actors from actors aiming to disrupt electoral integrity using publicized attacks and disinformation campaigns against the use of such technologies. In the literature, there is still a lack of a cohesive, coordinated methodology for this issue that starts with a needs-based approach. This paper analyses the relationship between trust and technology implementation across the electoral cycle by presenting a set of selected case studies presenting diverse levels of democratic development and types of election management bodies. While examining how trust- and distrust-related factors influence implementation, this paper supports experts aiming to approach aspects related to the current erosion of trust in democracy and technology's impact.</p> David Duenas-Cid Leontine Loeber Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz Ryan Macias Copyright (c) 2024 David Duenas-Cid, Leontine Loeber, Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz, Ryan Macias https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.922 An electoral exception? Quantum computing-readiness and internet voting https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/928 <p>Developments in quantum computing may jeopardize the security of internet voting. Such developments could compromise important electoral requirements, including integrity, eligibility, or the secrecy of the vote. Even the contents of a vote cast online today, when quantum computers are not yet known to be available, could be revealed tomorrow. Countries are already working on a post-quantum setting, but elections seem to remain an exception. In this paper, we explore the existing strategies to mitigate the quantum threat or their lack thereof, as well as the views of different stakeholders on these matters. To do so, we have conducted a mix of desk research as well as interviews with 24 experts in different fields, from electoral administrations to cybersecurity agencies, vendors, and academia. We assess their perceptions about quantum computing, its impact on internet voting, and on transitioning towards quantum-resistant cryptography, as well as on interagency cooperation and trust issues. Whereas we initially assumed that elections were an exception in regards to the transition towards post-quantum cryptography, this research shows that the electoral field is neither alone nor the most adequate one to start the implementation of this kind of cryptography.</p> Adrià Rodríguez-Pérez Núria Costa Tamara Finogina Copyright (c) 2024 Adrià Rodríguez-Pérez , Núria Costa, Tamara Finogina https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.928 Election administrators' perceptions of verifiable online voting and its use in local elections https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/912 <p>Canada is the longest user of online voting in municipal elections and has primarily used non-verifiable systems, raising concerns about the integrity of election results and public and administrator confidence in the process. In the 2022 Ontario municipal elections, 9% of municipalities offered online voters the option of individual verifiability. To better understand the considerations and challenges of introducing verifiability mechanisms in local elections, this article explores municipal administrators' perceptions and understanding of verifiable online voting through three focus groups with local governments in Ontario, Canada: (1) users of verifiable online voting systems,(2) users of non-verifiable systems, and (3) those without online voting. We find deeper reasonings for selecting non-verifiable online voting systems, such as administrators' perceptions of voters' needs and the perceived value of transparency. To enhance the adoption of verifiable online voting, the article suggests promoting the value and meaning of verifiability among all stakeholders.</p> Iuliia Spycher-Krivonosova Nicole Goodman Aleksander Essex Copyright (c) 2024 Iuliia Spycher-Krivonosova, Nicole Goodman, Aleksander Essex https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.912 Industrial Revolution 4.0 technologies for democratic e-government services: A systematic review of transformational frameworks https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/921 <p>This paper uses the PRISMA framework to present a systematic literature review on e-government frameworks leveraging Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. It aims to identify, review, and analyze frameworks that incorporate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, natural language processing, big data analytics, blockchain, Internet of Things, cloud computing, cognitive computing, and autonomous robots to modernize public administration service delivery. The review covers articles from 2019 to 2024, highlighting the potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to enhance government services, improve accountability, and foster citizen engagement. However, it also identifies gaps in current frameworks, such as challenges related to security, privacy, and the digital divide. The paper provides recommendations for developing transformational e-government frameworks that prioritize democratic values, social inclusion, and stakeholder participation.</p> Christinah Kenosi Irina Zlotnikova Tshiamo Sigwele Copyright (c) 2024 Christinah Kenosi, Irina Zlotnikova, Tshiamo Sigwele https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i3.921 Individual attitudes towards internet voting: The case of France https://jedem.org/index.php/jedem/article/view/889 <p>Since the early 2000s, internet voting has developed considerably. However, limited research still examines citizens' expectations regarding its use in the electoral process, particularly in countries that have not yet introduced internet voting. This article addresses this gap by studying citizens' opinions about internet voting. We challenge existing preconceptions about their propensity to accept such a voting option. Our empirical analysis is based on a post-electoral survey in France. We demonstrate that French citizens broadly favour the introduction of internet voting. Such a system is rejected primarily due to political reasons or general social media usage. Indifference to the issue reflects the social divide traditionally observed in electoral and online political participation. Furthermore, we show that different groups emerge, depending on the arguments they use to support or oppose the introduction of internet voting.</p> Felix-Christopher von Nostitz Marie Neihouser Giulia Sandri Tristan Haute Copyright (c) 2024 Felix-Christopher von Nostitz, Marie Neihouser, Giulia Sandri, Tristan Haute https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 2024-10-02 2024-10-02 16 3 10.29379/jedem.v16i1.889