Session Profile: Evelin Poolamets
15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
2024-04-17
Political Position
The political position is strongly opposed to the current e-voting system, which is viewed as opaque, unverifiable, and disproportionately favorable to the Reform Party. The focus lies on the reliability of elections, technical security, and procedural uniformity. The speaker demands full transparency and auditability of the system to guarantee the integrity of democratic processes.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker exhibits thorough knowledge of the technical and procedural aspects of e-voting, utilizing specific terminology such as end-to-end verifiability, cryptography, and malware. The expertise is also based on the research of scientists (Sven Heiberg, Arnis Paršovs, Jan Villemson) and the analysis of statistical data (vote share by political party). Furthermore, he describes detailed technical vulnerabilities, for example, the mechanism for falsifying votes using test codes.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is combative, critical, and accusatory, employing strong expressions such as "a disgrace" and labeling the system "a savage variant." The appeals are a blend of logical argumentation (referencing scientists, technical errors, and vote tallies) and emotional distrust directed at the system administrators. The speaker maintains a formal demeanor, yet utilizes sharp political and personal accusations regarding the issue of lacking trust.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker was highly active during the April 17th plenary session, consecutively posing four strongly focused questions and making statements regarding the topic of e-voting. This demonstrates concentrated activity during the discussion of a specific legislative topic. He/She also requested additional minutes to present his/her views in greater detail.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main opposition is directed at the e-voting system and its administrators (the National Electoral Committee, RIA), who are accused of lacking transparency, concealing technical errors, and maintaining excessive control. The Reform Party is indirectly criticized as the system’s primary political beneficiary, receiving a disproportionately large share of the vote. The criticism is systemic and procedural, focusing on a lack of trust and the risk of corruption.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Insufficient data.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is exclusively at the national level, addressing Estonia's election law and the architecture of the e-voting system. Estonian citizens residing abroad are also mentioned as a potential target group in the event of electoral fraud.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Insufficient data.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
This addresses the social aspects related to e-voting accessibility, citing the potential risk of exclusion for users running older operating systems (pre-Windows 10). Additionally, the text raises concerns regarding the unusually high participation rate of the elderly (those over 94) in e-voting, treating this anomaly as a matter of system reliability.
4 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The legislative focus is on reforming the e-voting system, demanding the implementation of end-to-end verifiability (both individual and universal) and increased transparency. Specifically, this requires the public disclosure of voter lists and allowing access to view the server logs of the vote collection system to ensure the authenticity of the e-ballot box.
4 Speeches Analyzed