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People are participating less
and less in the formal democratic process including at voting
in elections.
The 2001 General election turnout was 59% - 12% down on 1997,
and the lowest since 1918. Around 60% of 18-24 year-olds didn't
vote in the 2001 General election. Turnout for the 2002 local
elections was 35%.
The government wants to give people a range of opportunities
to participate in the democratic process. It also wants to
find new ways that it, and parliament, can seek the views,
knowledge and experiences of citizens.
On 16 July the government published In the Service of Democracy,
outlining a possible policy on e-democracy and asking a number
of questions on the issue.
A wide-ranging public consultation,
that included an on-line questionnaire and discussion forum,
ended on 31 October 2002.
A report on the consultation,
entitled "In tne Service of Democracy: Your Response",
along with individual responses, has been posted on the e-Democracy
website.
The aim of the proposed policy
is to take advantage of the new technologies' potential to
encourage people to participate in the democratic process.
There are three objectives:
- Facilitating participation in the democratic process:
making it easier for people to collect public information,
follow the political process, discuss and form groups on
political issues, scrutinise government and vote in elections.
- Broadening participation by opening up a range of new
channels for democratic communication - may enable involvement
from people who in the past may have felt excluded from
the democratic process or unable to participate.
- Deepening participation by creating a closer link between
citizens and their representatives
The policy has two tracks:
- Firstly it is about encouraging people to take part in
elections by giving them choices about how they cast their
vote, including through the internet, either at home or
at public venues, and by using mobile phones.
- But is it also about getting people to interact with Government
between elections, allowing them to raise topics they want
discussed, and influencing Government policy, including
participating in on-line discussion fora.
The consultation is now closed,
but you can still read the consultation paper and read the
latest news at
the government's e-democracy website. The e-democracy
team are still happy to listen to views or comments on e-democracy
and the edemocracy website. The site will continue to be updated
but the e-democracy questionnaire is no longer available.
The government's response to
the consultation will be published in due course.
>
http://www.e-democracy.gov.uk
(UK government's w-democracy site)
e-DEMOCRACY
AT WORK
e-Democracy is already at work
- locally and nationally. The schemes below are highlighted
in the consultation paper. But there are others up and down
the country.
- Across the country in the May
2002 local elections, 30 local authorities ran election
pilots. 13 piloted all postal voting, some with electronic
counting. 16 included elements of e-voting or e-counting.
Five pilots offered Internet voting. Two offered
text messaging via mobile phones. More pilots will be held
in the 2003 local elections.
- No. 10 allows anyone to submit
a petition electronically. All people have to do is set
up their own Website and collect signatures.
>
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page297.asp
- The Scottish Parliament facilitates
the creation of on-line petitions. Citizens can sign, and
join an integrated electronic discussion forum on the topic
of concern.
>
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/petitions/
- The UK Parliament allows free
and easy access to documents and information. This includes:
debates in the Commons and Lords; an explanation of Parliamentary
procedures; details of select committees; texts of Bills
before Parliament; and House of Commons library research
papers.
>
http://www.parliament.uk
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