French Government Approves Voting By Internet For Citizens Abroad

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs approved a new Internet-voting platform for the consular elections of May 2020, as the proper security measures were in place and a positive opinion was handed down by the members of the electoral commission.

This important milestone means that French citizens abroad will have the choice of voting to choose their representatives in May 2020 in person, by proxy, or via the Internet.

This third voting method awaited by our compatriots abroad will help facilitate their participation in democratic life. It implements the commitment taken by President Macron before the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad on October 2, 2017.

The electoral commission chaired by the director of French Citizens Abroad and the Consular Administration and consisting of the president of the Electronic Voting Office, the director general of the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI), the Ministerial Head of Security and Information Systems (RSSI) and the Director of Digital Affairs, handed down its decision after reviewing audits and the results of a risk analysis carried out by independent experts.

The platform was subjected to a number of technical tests to ensure its robustness and security. Two full-scale tests were carried out in July and November 2019 with 12,000 volunteer voters under the supervision of the Electronic Voting Office and independent experts.

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