On 19 October, people all over Estonia will elect their representatives to the city and parish councils that will decide on local issues for the next four years. Elections will take place in 78 municipalities and cities, and a total of 1684 councillors will be elected across the country.
There will be no major changes to the electoral arrangements for voters this time - the voting period will still be seven days, running from 13-19 October, and voting can be done both at the polling station and electronically.
However, the electorate has changed in these elections - while up to now, citizens of third countries could also vote in local elections, the Riigikogu has decided that only non-citizens can now vote in these elections, in addition to Estonian citizens and citizens of other EU Member States who are permanently resident here.
However, for the third time, young people aged 16 and 17 will also be able to go to the ballot box. The total number of young people aged between 16 and 23 eligible to vote this time is over 110 000. This is a significant number of Estonians, and it is important that they participate so that the councils that are formed reflect the interests of young people. So that leisure opportunities are more open, green spaces are maintained, schools provide counselling for pupils, and town or parish councils are open to new ideas and initiatives.
In local elections, you can choose between candidates from political parties and electoral alliances, and individual candidates. Each voter chooses a representative on their own town or parish council, who will decide on local issues.
You can vote at the polling station of your choice
There are 356 polling stations this year. Thanks to the electronic electoral roll, which will be available from 2021, you can vote from Monday to Thursday of the week at any polling station in Estonia. For example, a resident of Tallinn can vote on the island of Ruhnu and a resident of Ruhnu Island can vote in Tallinn. By Sunday, the day of the election, the vote of the Tallinner will arrive in Tallinn and the vote of the Ruhnu Islander in Ruhnu, where they will be counted together with the other votes in their respective districts. From Friday onwards, you can vote at all polling stations in the constituency where you live. However, it is worth checking beforehand whether you have a valid identity document with you, as the new eesti.ee application does not yet allow you to prove your identity in these elections. By 9 October at the latest, every voter will also receive a leaflet with information on polling stations and voting times, either by e-mail or post.
However, those who find it difficult to go to the polling station due to illness, for example, and either don't want to or don't know how to e-vote, can have a ballot box delivered to their home. To do this, you must apply by phone to your local authority on Friday 17 October or Saturday 18 October between 12 and 20 or on polling day 19 October between 9 and 14. More information can also be found on the Election Information Sheet.
Voting abroad during election week can only be done electronically, as there is no voting by post or in offices abroad for local elections.
Smart-ID is also an innovation
Advance and electronic voting will run from 13 to 18 October. Advance voting will take place in at least one polling station in each municipality and city from 12 to 20 during the six-day period. Electronic voting will run from Monday to 20 on Saturday evening. e-vote
you still need a computer to cast your vote, you cannot use a smart device to cast an e-vote. However, from this year, you can use the Smart-ID app to identify yourself and confirm your vote, in addition to ID cards and mobile ID. Before you vote, you should check that your certificates are valid and update your computer's operating system and anti-virus software. The e-voting application can be downloaded from the website valimised.ee and installed on your computer. The application is only available on the website of the elections.ee, you should definitely not download it from anywhere else.
The source code underlying the e-voting system is public. This means that all interested experts can test the robustness of the system in person. Each election also includes a test vote before e-voting starts, with the participation of auditors and observers to check that the e-voting system is working properly. The result and key activities of e-voting are mathematically verifiable and are checked each time by an independent auditor.
You can see for yourself how e-voice is delivered
Anyone who is not IT-savvy will also be able to download a checker app on their smartphone, which will allow them to check with their own eyes, within 15 minutes of casting their e-vote, whether the vote they cast has reached the electronic ballot box. As the organiser of the elections, the Election Office calls on you to make use of the e-vote verification facility in any case! To do this, you will need to download the „EH check app“ from the Google Play or App Store app store, or update it if you already have it on your device from previous elections. The app requires you to scan the QR code that was displayed on your computer screen after e-voting. Verifying the vote will help to ensure that the voter's computer is behaving correctly and does not have any malware installed to interfere with e-voting.
A voter who considers that he or she was not able to vote freely or secretly may vote again. By voting again electronically, the previous e-vote is cancelled and the last e-vote remains valid. It is also possible to cancel an e-vote by voting at a polling station during election week, including election day. The possibility of cancelling an e-vote by voting at a polling station on election day is also the reason why the results of e-voting are known late on election day, i.e. at the same time as the results of voting at polling stations. It is simply that information about those who voted at the last minute at a polling station must reach the electoral services so that the e-votes of voters at the polling station can be cancelled before the e-votes are counted. This ensures that only one vote from each voter is counted.
Voting must be free
As election organisers, we want to prevent and detect early on the spread of misinformation or other information that could hinder the conduct of elections. We also urge everyone to be vigilant against the spread of different kinds of information and to check the accuracy of the information when posting on social media. It is possible to report any false information you see on social media and it is worth informing the police about any worrying rumours. In the run-up to the elections, an EU regulation will come into force requiring political advertising to be labelled so that voters know who is providing them with information and who is paying for it.
I would also like to remind all voters that giving your ID card and PIN codes to other people is not allowed, and that any phone calls asking for your personal details and PIN codes should be immediately disconnected and reported to the police. Any attempt to buy votes should also be reported to the police. Every voter has the right to vote without coercion or hindrance, according to his or her free will.
Elections are a time to make your voice heard. Your voice counts. When you vote, you decide.
Arne Koitmäe
Head of the National Election Service