Majority of Irish people favour the introduction of a national ID card and e-voting from home in future elections and referendums
A nationwide survey by Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, has found that 58% of the Irish population would support electronic voting from home in elections and referendums and an even greater number, 69%, favour the introduction of a national identity card.
Lero, a world leader in data privacy and cybersecurity research, commissioned RED C Research to conduct the survey last month. Just over 1,000 people participated in the study which found that almost six out of ten people (58%) are in favour of electronic voting from home in elections and referendums. In contrast, just one in three (30%) opposes the idea, and 12% answered ‘don’t know’.
The Lero survey also found that seven out of ten people (69%) are in favour of the introduction of a national identity card which is accessible by them and public services including local authorities and schools and colleges. Just 17% of those polled were opposed to a national ID card, and 14% responded ‘don’t know’.
Lero Director, Professor Brian Fitzgerald said Irish people’s support for the introduction of electronic voting and a national ID card has remained remarkably consistent.
“Irish people are clearly at home in the digital world. This survey confirms they are comfortable with having important elements of their lives, such as elections and personal records, move online,” added Professor Fitzgerald.
Professor Regina Connolly of Dublin City University Business School and a Lero funded investigator said the findings of this survey highlight the increasing digital literacy of Irish people.
“National identity cards are employed in most EU countries and have potential to fundamentally reshape the relationship between citizens and the state, providing faster, safe and secure access to government services, increasing transparency and strengthening the economy. However, public buy-in is essential for the success of ID cards and this survey provides encouraging evidence in that regard,” she added.
A similar survey of more than 1,000 adults conducted by RED C for Lero in June of 2018 also found that a majority (59%) favour electronic voting from home for elections and referendums, while three quarters (75%) were in favour of a national ID card.
RED C interviewed a random nationally representative sample of 1,001 adults aged 18+ online between 8th and 13th October 2020. Interviews were conducted online and the results weighted to the profile of all adults.
Survey Methodology:
Online research was conducted with 1,001 ROI adults aged 18+.
Respondents were recruited using RED C Live, RED C’s own online panel of more than 40,000 members
Quota controls were used to ensure a nationally representative sample of ROI adults aged 18+, with interlocking quotas to provide extra confidence in sample profile
Data was weighted across gender, age, region and social class, so as to ensure a nationally representative sample based on latest CSO projections
Fieldwork for this research took place from 8th – 13th October 2020
Weighted to be representative of all adults aged 18+ using the latest CSO census data (See attached ppt file for extra information)
About Lero
Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, brings together expert software teams from universities and institutes of technology across Ireland in a co-ordinated centre of research excellence with a strong industry focus. Lero’s research spans a wide range of application domains from driverless cars to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, esports, fintech, govtech, smart communities, agtech and healthtech. Hosted by the University of Limerick, Lero’s academic partners include Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway, University College Cork, Institute of Technology Tralee, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Waterford Institute of Technology, Limerick Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology.
Lero’s overall vision is to establish Ireland as a location synonymous with high-quality software research and development, to the extent that ‘Irish software’ can enter the lexicon in the same way as ‘German automotive’ or ‘Scandinavian design’. As the world’s second-largest software exporter, Ireland is recognised internationally as a leading location for companies in the software sector and Lero is a key pillar in the sector. Fifteen out of the top 20 global technology firms have strategic operations in Ireland. Since its foundation in 2005, Lero has become one of the best-known, and most highly regarded, software research centres in the world.