Legal, operational and technical standards for e-voting – Recommendation Rec(2004)11 and explanatory memorandum

This recommendation is the first international legal instrument to deal with e-voting.

It is structured in three main parts. The first lays out common legal standards for e-voting that comply with the fundamental principles of universal, free, equal and secret suffrage; the second covers the operational standards that apply to all phases of the electoral process; and the third outlines the technical requirements for accessibility, interoperability, security of the vote and monitoring.

This recommendation presents common e-voting standards that take into account the differing situations in the Council of Europe member states and could be adopted by the information and communications technology industry.