Election news dominates the headlines today, and people react with surprise to the extent of Labour losses in England. But another story is hidden behind the headlines - the way we will be voting in future elections. Two councils offered e-voting for the first time ever in the May 1 council elections, and the central government promises to hold a full e-voting general election by 2006.

Yesterday, 18 councils offered e-voting to more than one million people. Citizens in Swindon and Sheffield had the opportunity to vote electronically. In fact, as of last Friday (April 25), more than 2,500 votes had been cast in the local election in Swindon.

Votes were cast through the Internet, at the town's eight information kiosks, or an automated telephone system. NTL also offered a digital television voting system, which marks the first time ever that voters have been able to cast votes through television.

When e-voting closed in Swindon at 12 noon on May 1, more than 15 per cent of the borough's votes came through via the Internet and telephone. These figures boosted turnout to more than 31 per cent, up from almost 28 per cent in 2000.

However, there are a few issues with e-voting. One is the simple issue of change. Often people don't like change. But if it's done properly - if glitches are anticipated, and if the systems are simple, then people should adapt fairly quickly. Another issue is one of confidentiality. Regular voters are used to the concept of the secret vote. A person stands alone in a booth with a slip of paper. X marks the spot and the paper is then placed by the voter in a box. The integrity of the system is well-known. It's what makes Britain one of the world's most respected democracies.

But what happens when people are voting at home with their families? Could they be coerced into voting for someone they don't want to vote for? One answer to this has been provided by Sheffield Council, which built polling booth-type units around the web kiosks, affording people privacy.

Another issue is one of recounts. In the traditional paper voting system, when there is a close margin, a candidate can demand a recount. At the moment, this is not possible with electronic voting and such a facility needs to be built into the e-voting systems very soon.

The systems themselves worked well - there was no crash or collapse such as was the case in an Eastern Canadian province a few years ago. And the British systems are designed to protect a voter's confidentiality.

Another positive thing about e-voting is that it will likely stop people deliberately or accidentally spoiling their ballots.

The future of e-voting looks bright. It could have a strong influence on the apathy felt about local elections. A survey done by the Electoral Commission revealed that 55 per cent of respondents would be encouraged to vote by e-voting, rising to three-quarters for 18 to 24 year olds. Of course, there will always be people who don't want to vote, whether by paper or on the Internet. But e-voting should have a significant impact on local democracy, and that can only be good thing.

Published: 02/05/2003