Question 30356 — elections and referendums

Summary

Ms. Laurianne Rossi draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior regarding the moratorium on voting machines since 2008. Authorized by the electoral code since 1969, these voting machines (which should be distinguished from electronic voting) were used in 1,421 polling stations in 66 French municipalities in 2018 - including 12 in the Hauts-de-Seine department - and concern 1.39 million registered voters. They don't have never revealed any dysfunction likely to undermine the sincerity of the vote and have on the contrary proven, over time, their effectiveness and their usefulness in terms of organization, particularly health, during voting operations. The legal framework established by article L. 57-1 of the electoral code provides that these voting machines can be used in municipalities with more than 3,500 inhabitants appearing on a list drawn up in each department by the state representative. However, since 2008, the State has applied a moratorium on voting machines, which prohibits the acquisition and use of these devices by new municipalities as well as the modernization of existing equipment. However, their use is particularly regulated, as evidenced by the instruction relating to the use of voting machines during municipal elections and communities of March 15 and 22, 2020 transmitted by the Ministry of the Interior to the mayors. Secure storage, restricted access under the responsibility of the mayor, installation of numbered seals and configuration in the presence of representatives of the political groups of the municipal council, blocking of the machine during the closing of the poll by the president of the polling station, double authentication by key activated by the president of the polling station and a assessor are all measures likely to secure the use of these machines and to preserve the sincerity and anonymity of the vote. Furthermore, the approval of the models by the State, the technical requirements set by the regulatory authorities and the absence of connection to a network are also elements which guarantee the security of the device. Communities using these machines, particularly in the Hauts-de-Seine department, attest to the simplicity and reliability of their use. At the close of the poll, the results are printed in a few seconds without the need for counting and without the risk of errors during counting. The use of voting machines also makes it possible to simplify the organization of elections by municipalities and has obvious advantages in terms of time savings, budgetary savings and environmental benefits linked to the absence of paper ballots. All of these findings were highlighted by the information report on electronic voting carried out in 2018 on behalf of the Senate Law Committee. In addition, the use of voting machines is particularly indicated in a health crisis situation, such as the current crisis, since this device makes it possible to avoid manipulation of ballot papers and envelopes and limits the risks of spread of the virus linked to the concentration of people during counting. Consequently, she asks him if the Government plans to lift the moratorium on voting machines in order to secure the situation of the municipalities which use them but also to allow new municipalities to equip themselves in order to facilitate the implementation of safer, faster, more economical, more ecological and much more protective ballots. health point of view.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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