The Government had great reasons for wanting to introduce electronic voting. Their logic was that e-voting would: create flexibility and speed in the voting and counting processes, provision of a higher level of service and more democratic outcomes. However, it hasn`t worked out that way. This idea of evoting has ended up being nothing but an expensive burden on the tax payer. The life cycle of the e-voting system is something like this:
- examined and proposed in 1998
- first procurement roundin 1999
- trials in 2002
- scheduled to be launched in June 2004
- abandoned in May 2004
It is estimated that €52million was spent on the voting machines,and the annual cost of storing the new machinery is €700,000. That means to this day the total cost of the machinery by the end of this year is €55.5 million, of the tax payers money. Alot of money and nothing to show for it. With our current economic position I cant help but think this is an in-appropriate way of using our much needed money. However, to make these machines usable it will cost the tax payer a further €28 million. Are we stuck in a bit of a black hole ? It wastes money to have them obsolete, but costs even more money to make them suitable. I think the e-voting was more of a dream then reality. Before spending hard earned and much needed money it should have been checked thet these machines were fool proof, or a least a good investment for our country rather than an expensive lesson. Don`t get me wrong the idea was great, but I cant help but think next time we should crawl before we run. We should wait for technology to be sufficiently advanced to guarntee much needed security before diving in and spending millions.
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