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TUC welcomes calls for extension of online balloting

By agency reporter
January 27, 2016

A new report, Secure Voting, from Webroots Democracy provides expert testimony from companies and academics specialising in online voting systems. It makes the case that electronic balloting is safe and secure and will increase voter engagement.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) says the report, published on the anniversary of the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy, makes a mockery of government claims that allowing union members to vote electronically in strike ballots would be a security risk.

Former Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said in March 2015 that e-balloting was key to boosting participation in strike ballots.

However, the government’s Trade Union Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, restricts unions to only using postal voting for strike ballots.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We have repeatedly heard ministers using the Speaker’s Commission report to dismiss reasonable requests from unions to use online balloting. Today’s report provides further expert evidence on how electronic balloting is safe and secure – and ministers’ concerns are unfounded.

“It’s time ministers stopped dragging their feet and allow unions to run strike ballots online. They are fast running out of excuses.

“How can the Conservatives say the security of online balloting is an issue for trade unions when they used online voting to select their candidate for London Mayor? It is absurd to stop union members from voting electronically on the key workplace issues that affect them.”

* Read Secure Voting here

* TUC https://www.tuc.org.uk/

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