Dynamics of Trust and Distrust Creation in Internet Voting

Project Information

ELECTRUST

Grant agreement ID: 101038055

DOI

10.3030/101038055

Project closed

EC signature date 28 April 2021

Start date 1 January 2022

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION

Total cost

€ 149 625,60

EU contribution

€ 149 625,60

Coordinated by

POLITECHNIKA GDANSKA
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ELECTRUST (Dynamics of Trust and Distrust Creation in Internet Voting)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The ELECTRUST project's research is crucial for today's societies amidst the global adoption of various voting technologies aimed at strengthening and scaling up democracy. Despite this, there is often a lack of awareness about the risks associated with voting technologies. Understanding trust and distrust patterns in Internet voting not only helps identify factors influencing citizen sentiment but also enables public administrations to develop strategies for building trust and managing distrust. This insight also aids potential implementers in making informed decisions based on the underlying trust and distrust dynamics. Furthermore, it sheds light on paradoxical situations where certain factors inspire trust in some groups while evoking distrust in others, or where certain factors elicit both trust and distrust simultaneously.

The ELECTRUST project delved into Internet voting adoption and its impact on democracy. Trust is crucial for both decision-makers and citizens in embracing Internet voting. Traditional research often overlooked distrust, treating it merely as the absence of trust. ELECTRUST reframed trust and distrust as independent yet interconnected concepts. Building on Luhmann's and Lewicki's work, it explored the roles of trust and distrust in data-driven technologies like Internet voting. The project developed a novel research methodology, with initial findings soon to be shared with the scientific community.

ELECTRUST explores cases of Internet voting and electronic voting, aiming to uncover factors shaping trust and distrust. Beyond advancing scientific knowledge, the project offers practical insights. It helps identify: 1) key arguments influencing trust and distrust in Internet voting, enriching existing understanding; 2) ways to improve the electoral technologies’ adoption processes by understanding their impact on trust and distrust; and 3) strategies for governments to enhance trust or manage distrust more effectively. Additionally, it sets the stage for future research in two areas: studying the influence of trust and distrust on other electoral technologies and examining their effects on public administrations.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ELECTRUST employed a two-step methodology to conduct research. Firstly, it established a solid theoretical foundation concerning trust, distrust, and their integration into the context of Internet voting and data-driven technologies. Secondly, it conducted case studies in countries where Internet voting has been utilized to understand the formation of trust and distrust. This approach reconceptualized trust and distrust as related yet distinct concepts, identifying various mechanisms for their construction.

The case study analysis supported the hypothesis that trust and distrust exhibit different patterns in relation to Internet voting, suggesting avenues for further research in other technologies. Trust is nurtured through positive user experiences, convenience, and existing institutional trust, while distrust arises from technical and political concerns. Additionally, several intriguing observations emerged: 1) some factors may simultaneously evoke trust and distrust; 2) failure in trust-evoking factors can breed distrust; 3) trust- and distrust-evoking factors extend beyond the election day, impacting the whole electoral cycle; 4) distrust-evoking strategies may ironically encourage technology adoption; and 5) various groups aimed at enhancing the quality of democracy may employ contrasting approaches to trust and distrust.

The findings of the ELECTRUST project were presented at 7 international research conferences, 2 practitioner conferences, an expert workshop, 4 university seminars, and 4 lectures organized on 3 continents. They were also published in 2 journal papers, 3 conference proceedings, and 2 edited books, summarized in the CORDIS result pack, and invited to the CORDIScovery podcast.

The work conducted helped the researcher earn the habilitation (DSc) degree in Political and Administrative Sciences and promote to Associate Professor. It also helped increase his visibility in the field; he is currently the General Chair of the E-Vote-ID Conference, President of the Thematic Group on Digital Sociology at the International Sociological Association, Program Chair at the International Conference on Digital Government Research, Track Chair at IFIP EGOV conference and Track Chair at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). In addition, the researcher was also awarded MSCA Fellow of the Week.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project helped define trust, distrust and their relationships, and apply these constructs to Internet voting. The case study conducted allowed detecting the differential patterns of the functioning of trust and distrust and inform the design of separate but interrelated strategies to deal with them. The project has gathered a wealth of data, ready for further analysis. Leveraging this data will be one of its key activities moving forward. Consequently, the project will continue along the following streams:

1. Publications: Three publications are already at an advanced stage, some already submitted, and two more are under development. Further publications will emerge from the ongoing data analysis.

2. Dissemination: The project's topic and results are attracting attention of both researchers and administrative authorities. CORDIS has already featured the project's results in its latest Results Pack, and this momentum will continue with the CORDIScovery podcast. This dissemination effort will culminate in the publication of a white book on trust and distrust in electoral technologies, which will be proposed once the exploitation of results nears completion in 2025.

3. Spin-Off Projects: The project lays the groundwork for spin-off projects to advance this research, and the visibility gained serves as a valuable asset for attracting partners and validating the strength of the researcher’s portfolio. Two spin off projects are in the pipeline, one project focusing on the development of Internet voting in Catalonia is already funded, and another focused on Digital Democracy has applied for funding in the HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01 call. Applying for an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2025 is part of the mid-term plans.

Regarding the impact of my research, a significant indicator is the adoption of the distinction between trust and distrust by experts in the field, as evidenced by the adoption of these concepts by the specialized research conferences. This indicates that the theoretical foundations of the ELECTRUST project resonate with those who have done research in the field. Similarly, my research findings suggest that public administrations should actively consider distrust in their management policies and develop strategies for fostering trust in the technologies they provide and managing distrust in such technologies when it arises. The research highlights clear indications that trust and distrust follow distinct trajectories and should be addressed accordingly. Within this specific realm of research, ELECTRUST yields relevant outcomes that contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of the acceptance of Internet voting and establish solid foundations for those seeking to introduce it. The project's objective is not to advocate for or against the use of Internet voting but to provide insights into potential steps and outcomes for those considering its adoption.

Seminar at University of New South Wales