The Government is expected to decide today whether to proceed with the introduction of electronic voting in the local and European elections in June, after receiving a report on the new system from an independent commission.
The Electronic Voting Commission will this morning present its report on the secrecy and accuracy of the system to the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, a day before the May 1st deadline set by the Government almost two months ago. There is persistent speculation in political circles that the commission has concluded that it cannot give the new system its unequivocal approval, as it has been unable to carry out every test and make every comparison that it would like.
Should this be the conclusion, the Government may decide not to introduce the system throughout the State as planned, but to operate it in pilot areas, possibly more extensively than in the past. Government sources said yesterday that such a decision might be taken as early as today, rather than at next Tuesday's scheduled Cabinet meeting.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who is responsible for the proposed introduction of e-voting, will return to Dublin this morning from a visit to the United States on official business.
A delay in the introduction of the system would represent a major embarrassment for the Government which insisted throughout the first quarter of this year that it would go ahead on June 11th. The Government pushed legislation through the Dáil enabling the introduction of the system on June 11th, despite Opposition complaints that the system was being rushed through without adequate checks or discussion.
The system has cost €40 million so far, a figure arising substantially from the cost of buying the voting machines.
Should the introduction be deferred, these machines would have to be stored, unused, for a further two years or more until the next general election.
The report is to be given to the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, and will be distributed to TDs and Senators and released to the press shortly afterwards.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Mr Cullen, have both said they would accept the recommendations of the e-voting commission.
So if the commission says it cannot unequivocally vouch for the system's secrecy and accuracy at this point, a decision not to go ahead with the system throughout the State as planned seems likely.