The Digital Republic: How Estonia Redefined Voting
As Estonians cast their ballots in the 2025 local elections, more than half are expected to do so without stepping outside their homes.
Estonians will open their laptops, insert their national ID cards and cast a legally binding vote online – a process now so routine it barely makes the news.
Yet this quiet act marks a remarkable milestone: twenty years since Estonia became the first nation in the world to hold nationwide internet voting.
Over two decades, the small northern European country has reshaped not only the mechanics of voting, but the very notion of what democratic participation means in the digital age.
When Estonia introduced “i-voting” in 2005, the notion of entrusting the internet with something as sacred as the ballot box seemed radical – even reckless.
Only around 2% of voters dared to try it. Yet that modest experiment sparked a digital transformation few nations have matched.
Author's summary: Estonia redefined voting with digital technology.