States of Guernsey to consider electronic voting proposal
- Published
Electronic voting could be implemented in the States of Guernsey if a proposal is passed by the island's government.
The States Assembly and Constitution Committee (SACC) submitted a report to be considered in November 2011.
It recommended giving members handsets which would instantly record their vote - pour (for), contre (against) or je ne vote pas (abstention).
Deputy Mary Lowe, Vice-Chairman of SACC, said it would provide "a permanent record" of members' votes.
She said: "There's lots of advantages ... it's far more efficient, it's far more open, it's far more transparent, and for me it's part of good governance."
Deputy Lowe told BBC News that if the proposals were approved, an electronic voting system could be in place quite soon.
She added that it would cost in the region of £20,000, which would be taken from the budget of the Royal Court - the building where States meetings are held.
Deputy Lowe said the move would bring Guernsey in line with other jurisdictions such as Jersey and the Isle of Man, which already use electronic voting.