Key issues
- The instructions of the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights are still being overlooked, as no steps have been taken to abolish the blanket ban on prisoners’ voting rights.
- Considerations to restrict the participation of third-country nationals in local elections have been under discussion.
- As usual, a discussion emerged after the elections regarding the security of e-voting.
Political and institutional developments
At the political level, the topic of restricting voting rights was addressed due to the full-scale war initiated by Russia, but the abolition of the restriction on prisoners’ voting rights was largely overlooked. Over the course of two years, the discussion primarily focused on limiting voting rights rather than expanding them.
In 2022, there was a modest discussion on prisoners’ voting rights when members of the Constitutional Committee of the Parliament met with representatives of the Supreme Court.[1] Although legal experts have publicly criticised the issue[2], it has not gained broader attention. The Ministry of Justice has also announced that an amendment to the law is not in their immediate plans
Members of the Isamaa party initiated a draft law in the Parliament in 2022 after Russia started the war against Ukraine, according to which only Estonian and EU citizens would be eligible to participate in local elections in the future.[4]
In her opinion to the Constitutional Committee of the Parliament, the Chancellor of Justice stated that the adoption of the draft law would significantly alter the perception that has developed in Estonia over the past 30 years regarding how the Republic of Estonia views the local community, people residing permanently and legally on its territory without Estonian citizenship, and their participation in local life governance. She also emphasised that if the draft law was adopted, constitutional review proceedings should be initiated, and the Supreme Court should be asked to assess the law’s compliance with the Constitution.[5]
The draft law passed the first reading in the Parliament in September 2022 but fell out of further consideration due to the change of the Parliament after elections.[6] In the autumn of 2023, the Parliament also rejected a similar draft law initiated by the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) during the first reading.[7]
The proposal was also reflected in the election programmes of two political parties: the Reform Party wanted to temporarily suspend the voting rights of citizens of third countries and individuals with dual citizenship[8], while Isamaa wanted to abolish the voting rights.[9] According to the coalition agreement between the Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party, and Estonia 200, the government will analyse options for temporarily suspending the voting rights of citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus.[10] The analysis, conducted by the Ministry of Justice, has faced criticism for its confidentiality.[11]
After the new government took office, the Parliament immediately faced a deadlock as opposition parties organised a large-scale obstruction.[12] In a memo prepared by the Parliament’s legal department to the board of the Parliament, it was found that the board had the right to end the obstruction[13], which they did. Some Parliament members challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, but the court did not uphold their complaint. The court noted that certain restrictions on submitting inquiries and draft laws were necessary to ensure the functioning of the Parliament and this did not endanger the rights of Parliament members.[14]
Legislative developments
On 6 September 2023, the Minister of Justice submitted a draft law amending the Riigikogu Election Act and other laws for public coordination, aiming to modify the regulation of electronic voting. The changes primarily involve the streamlining of legal regulation. The major amendments include granting authorisation for the Government of the Republic to establish regulations, specifying the rules for organising elections, and supplementing the rules for electronic voting based on the issues identified during recent elections.[15]
The National Electoral Committee has been critical in its opinion regarding the first amendment, which grants the government the authority to issue regulations on election matters. According to the Electoral Committee, this is not in line with the traditionally upheld principle in Estonia that election organisers should be independent of political power.[16] Legal scholars have also criticised the draft, asserting that the amendments grant the government overly broad powers and that changes should be made to the election law instead of giving the government the right to issue regulations.[17] Following the criticism, the government abandoned the proposed amendment that would have given the government a role in organising elections.[18]
The draft law also plans changes that would allow voting not only from a computer but also from a smart device. Additionally, it establishes the legal basis to use Smart-ID in addition to the currently used means of identification.[19] However, the risks of mobile voting (m-voting) have not been solved yet, especially the concern that the distribution of the voting application would fall out of the control of the Electoral Office and into the hands of Google and Apple, which could lead to the appearance of counterfeit software on application stores that cannot be promptly removed.[20] The Chancellor of Justice also stated, while answering questions in front of the Parliament, that if the applications fall under the control of third parties, their constitutionality should be assessed.[21]
Case law
Regarding the 2023 parliamentary elections, 17 complaints were submitted to the Supreme Court, of which 12 were reviewed, and five were left unreviewed.[22] Compared to the 2019 elections, there were fewer complaints.[23] Complaints were left unreviewed primarily because of the lack of a right to appeal. Eight of the reviewed complaints were related to electronic voting. The remaining four addressed the formation of voting district committees, non-registration of candidates, the voting rights of prisoners, and votes received from abroad. The Supreme Court did not uphold any of the complaints.[24] Two identical complaints from EKRE, challenging the constitutionality of electronic voting, gained the most attention. Although the complaints were not upheld, the Supreme Court emphasised the need to clarify the rules of electronic voting to ensure compliance with constitutional principles and better public understanding.[25] The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court provided a concurring opinion, agreeing that the National Electoral Committee handled the complaints correctly. However, he stressed that the fundamental rules of electronic voting should be clearly defined and understandable without special expertise, either by law or at least by a government regulation.[26]
On 26 April 2023, the Supreme Court reached a decision in a case where the mandate of a member of the Tartu City Council ended because the member’s permanent residence was not in Tartu. The council member contested the decision, claiming that they changed their registered address to a new location because they were renovating a house there, where they would eventually move, and their permanent residence remained in Tartu. The Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court dismissed the complaint, explaining that a person’s place of residence is determined based on Population Register data, and there is no need to gather additional evidence regarding whether the person actually lives there.[27]
Statistics and surveys
In the 2023 parliamentary elections, the methodology for calculating voter turnout changed. Previously, the calculation of voter turnout only considered those citizens permanently residing abroad who participated in the elections, however, in the 2023 elections, voter turnout was calculated by considering all voters.[28] In the same elections, a record number of women were elected into the Parliament[29], increasing the representation of women in legislative power. The same cannot be said for minority groups, whose representation is minimal or non-existent.
The OSCE/ODIHR election expert team observed the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2023 for the fifth time. The report concluded that Estonia’s legal framework complies with international standards, and the organisation of the elections, including e-voting, was effective and lawful, although there were some minor technical errors. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, the number of votes cast online exceeded the number of votes cast at polling stations for the first time, prompting the expert assessment to emphasise the need for making e-voting more secure and transparent. According to the recommendations of the expert team, election authorities should increase the trust in e-voting, particularly by responding more promptly to stakeholders’ questions. Experts also suggest considering cryptographic methods to prevent the possibility of depositing improperly formed ballots, testing systems more extensively before deployment, and providing comprehensive and precise documentation regarding the technology and processes of e-voting. Additionally, the experts emphasise the importance of increasing overall verifiability and ensuring that the voting process is auditable at every step.[30]
Promising practices
It has become a common practice for various advocacy organisations to compile analyses of election programmes, providing an overview of the worldviews and values that political parties uphold. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, analyses covered topics such as human rights[31], equal treatment and gender equality[32], LGBT+ rights[33], children’s rights[34], mental health[35], green thinking[36] and animal rights[37].
Noteworthy public discussions
For almost two years, discussions from various perspectives have been ongoing on whether there is a basis for revoking the voting rights of third-country nationals[38] or not.[39]
As per usual, discussions on the security of e-voting intensified as the parliamentary elections approached. The first reason for this was the news that voter information reached the e-voting system with a delay, causing the voter application to display the wrong electoral district for 63 voters.[40] The Electoral Committee decided that if these people did not recast their votes during the elections, their votes would be annulled.[41] The majority of these 63 individuals recast their votes, but three did not. The Supreme Court found that there was a basis for annulling the votes.[42]
After the elections, EKRE, in particular, questioned the results of e-voting in the media.[43] This was countered by the Chancellor of Justice, who affirmed that previous audits have shown that there is no reason to doubt e-voting.[44]
Recommendations
- Amend relevant laws so that the ban on voting applies only to prisoners for whom it is imposed as an additional punishment.
- Be extremely cautious with any proposals to restrict the right to vote.
- Take into account the recommendations of international and domestic experts to ensure transparency of e-voting and greater trust in it.
[1] Alas, B-A. 2022. Odinets ja Valge arutlevad riigikohtuga vangide ja Vene kodanike valimisõiguse üle, Postimees, 20.10.2022.
[2] Olesk, M., Tarros, K. 2022. Olesk ja Tarros: Eesti rikub vaikides kinnipeetavate valimisõigust, ERR, 15.12.2022.
[3] Justiitsministeeriumi vastus Eesti Inimõiguste Keskuse selgitustaotlusele, 11.09.2023. (autori valduses)
[4] Riigikogu. 2022. Kohaliku omavalitsuse volikogu valimise seaduse muutmise seadus 594 SE, 21.04.2022.
[5] Õiguskantsler. 2022. Arvamus kohaliku omavalitsuse volikogu valimise seaduse muutmise seaduse eelnõu (594 SE) kohta, 12.09.2022.
[6] Riigikogu. 2022. Kohaliku omavalitsuse volikogu valimise seaduse muutmise seadus 594 SE, 21.04.2022.
[7] Riigikogu. 2023. Kohaliku omavalitsuse volikogu valimise seaduse muutmise seadus 4 SE, 11.04.2023.
[8] Reformierakond. 2023. Reformierakonna valimisprogramm 2023.
[9] Isamaa. 2023. Isamaa valimisprogramm 2023.
[10] Vabariigi Valitus. 2023. Koalitsioonilepe 2023–2027.
[11] Kook, U. 2023. Justiitsministeerium pani AK-templi Vene kodanike valimisõiguse analüüsile, ERR, 17.08.2023.
[12] Riigikogu. 2023. EKRE alustab Riigikogus täiemahulist obstruktsiooni valitsuse poliitika pidurdamiseks, 08.05.2023.
[13] Aaspõllu, H. 2023. Riigikogu õigusosakonna memo: obstruktsiooni saab lõpetada, ERR, 15.05.2023.
[14] Riigikohtu põhiseaduslikkuse järelevalve kolleegiumi 22.06.2023 otsus kohtuasjas nr 5-23-31.
[15] Eelnõude infosüsteem. 2023. Riigikogu valimise seaduse ja teiste seaduste muutmise seadus, 06.09.2023.
[16] Ots, M. 2023. Valimisseaduse muutmine ohustab valimiste korraldamise erapooletust, ERR, 14.09.2023.
[17] Ots, M. 2023. Tupay näeb valimisseaduse muutmise eelnõus küsitavusi, ERR, 15.09.2023.
[18] ERR. 2023. Valitsus loobus soovist e-hääletamisel ise reegleid sättida, 19.11.2023.
[19] Eelnõude infosüsteem. 2023. Riigikogu valimise seaduse ja teiste seaduste muutmise seadus, 06.09.2023.
[20] Tooming, M., Toom, U. 2023. Valimiskomisjon: m-hääletuse kasutamine tooks kaasa liiga palju riske, ERR, 29.05.2023.
[21] Riigikogu. 2023. Riigikogu istung. Õiguskantsleri ülevaade õigustloovate aktide kooskõlast põhiseadusega ja muude õiguskantslerile seadusega pandud ülesannete täitmisest (01:16:25), Youtube, 19.09.2023.
[22] Riigikohus. 2023. Riigikohtule esitati seoses tänavuste Riigikogu valimistega 17 kaebust, 03.04.2023.
[23] Riigikohus. 2019. Tänasega said Riigikohtus kõik valimiskaebused lahendatud, 27.03.2019.
[24] Riigikohus. 2023. Riigikohtule esitati seoses tänavuste Riigikogu valimistega 17 kaebust, 03.04.2023.
[25] Riigikohtu põhiseaduslikkuse järelevalve kolleegiumi 30.03.2023 otsus kohtuasjas nr 5-23-20.
[26] Riigikohtunik Villu Kõve konkureeriv arvamus asjas nr 5-23-20.
[27] Riigikohtu põhiseaduslikkuse järelevalve kolleegiumi 26.04.2023 otsus kohtuasjas nr 5-23-28.
[28] Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon. 2022. Riigikogu valimistest muutub valimisaktiivsuse arvestamise metoodika, 02.12.2022.
[29] Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon. 2023. Valitud Riigikogu liikmed, 20.04.2023.
[30] OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 2023. Estonia Parliamentary Elections 5 March 2023, ODIHR Election Expert Team Final Report, 30.08.2023.
[31] Eesti Inimõiguste Keskus. 2023. Valimislubaduste analüüs 2023, 15.02.2023.
[32] Feministeerium. 2023. Keda valida? Pedagoogiline valgusfoor, 09.02.2023.
[33] Eesti LGBT Ühing. 2023. LGBT+ valimiskompass, 04.02.2023.
[34] Lastekaitse Liit. 2023. Erakondade valmisprogrammide analüüs 2023.
[35] Peaasi.ee. 2023. Vaimse tervise poliitikad Eesti valimisprogrammides AD 2023.
[36] Arengukoostöö Ümarlaud. 2023. Rohekompass.
[37] Loomus. 2023. Loomuse valimiskompassi analüüs, 11.02.2023.
[38] Maruste, R. 2022. Rait Maruste: mittekodanike valimisõigusest, ERR, 22.11.2022.
[39] Villenberg, G. 2023. Georg Villenberg: hääleõiguse äravõtmise kava taga on politikaanlus, ERR, 23.08.2023.
[40] Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon. 2023. Värske valijate nimekirja info jõudis e-hääletamise süsteemi viibega, 27.02.2023.
[41] Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon. 2023. Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon otsustas tühistada vanas ringkonnas e-hääletanute hääled, 01.03.2023.
[42] Riigikohtu põhiseaduslikkuse järelevalve kolleegiumi 27.03.2023 otsus kohtuasjas nr 5-23-11.
[43] Oja, B. 2023. Helme: vaidlustame e-valimised kohtus, seni valimistulemust ei tunnista, ERR, 06.03.2023.
[44] Rats, L. 2023. Õiguskantsler: senised auditid on näidanud, et e-valimistes ei pea kahtlema, ERR, 06.03.2023.
