EKRE files complaint with Supreme Court over local elections e-vote recount
The opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has taken to the Supreme Court its request for a recount of the e-vote at the recent local elections in Estonia.
The National Electoral Committee (VVK) on October 24 rejected the party's request for a third recount, issued two days earlier, prompting EKRE to file a complaint and an application for interim relief with the Tartu-based Supreme Court.
Head of the State Electoral Office (RVT) Arne Koitmäe said that there was neither reason nor legal basis to conduct an additional recount.
The e-vote is counted first, and then recounted on the day immediately following polling day, on October 20 in this case, the RVT noted.
An additional, third recount is not provided for by law. The RVT also assured EKRE that the e-voting system's hardware and software functioned correctly.
EKRE has rejected this explanation, maintaining there are grounds for an additional recount of electronically cast votes.
"There were technical errors during the counting of electronic votes that call into question the reliability of the election results. Consequently, the RVT must be obliged to carry out an additional recount of the electronically cast votes in the 2025 local elections," the party stated.
EKRE has also appealed to the Supreme Court the VVK's decision not hear the party's complaint, and is demanding that the results of the local elections e-vote be annulled.
The party is also demanding that the organization of e-voting at the 2025 local elections be declared unlawful as an action by the VVK and RVT, two separate bodies.
Specifically, on October 19, the VVK declined to review EKRE's complaint on e-voting, in which the party had requested the immediate suspension of electronic voting due to alleged violations until deficiencies were resolved and all e-votes cast so far annulled.
While EKRE has challenged the election results, it has also already signed coalition agreements or is taking part in power-sharing talks at several municipalities across Estonia, based on those same results.
The e-vote closed at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, the day before polling day. The e-vote count was not concluded until polls closed on the Sunday, because voters can override their e-vote with a paper vote, either during the advance voting period or on polling day itself.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mirjam Mäekivi
