Estonians will vote by phone

The Estonian Parliament has approved a law making Estonia the first country to allow voting by cellphone, in the next parliamentary elections in 2011.

Estonians were allowed to cast Internet ballots in last year's parliamentary vote. Government officials said the Internet voting system proved secure despite worries about hacker attacks, identity fraud and vote count manipulation.

The mobile-voting system, which has already been tested, requires that voters obtain free, authorized chips for their phones. The chip will verify the voter's identity and authorize participation in the electronic voting system.

The system and software have proven effective and reliable in an independent security audit. A spokesman said the system "is the most secure way to authenticate digital signatures."

Finland and Sweden possess the software and technical capabilities to conduct a similar cellular election. (info from The Associated Press)