Over 50 percent of Lithuanians in favour of e-voting

According to a survey for Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice, 56 percent of people in Lithuania are in favour legalising e-voting as a way of taking part in elections. 

The survey also revealed 30 percent are against e-voting, while the remaining 14 percent do not have an opinion. 

Rasa Alisauskiene, the head of Baltijos Tyrimai who commissioned the survey, said public opinion has not changed greatly since the e-voting initiative was suggested five years ago. 

"Around five years have passed since this initiative came out and the number hasn’t changed,” she told journalists in Vilnius on July 14 2015.

According to Justice Minister, Juozas Bernatonis, those who vote for the Liberal Movement, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and the Labour Party are the biggest supporters of introducing e-voting.

Those who support the conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and the Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union are those least in favour. 

Critics are concerned about personal data protection, which Bernatonis described as "exaggerated."

The Lithuanian government plans to put amendments on the introduction of e-voting before the Seimas as early as this summer. 

The parliament has previously voted down similar amendments twice before.