General election e-voting plans revealed

The government has unveiled plans for a massive two-year electoral modernisation project that aims to pave the way for e-voting at the next general election.

E-voting technology will not be used at the forthcoming general election on 5 May despite an £18m trial of phone, text and internet voting during local elections back in 2003.

But the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is now inviting IT suppliers to register their interest in taking part in wider trials that will run from 2006 to 2008.

The trials will include internet, telephone, text message and digital TV voting channels, electronic polling stations and vote counting systems, voter verification technology and other electronic services to support the modernisation of the democratic electoral process.

Up to 20 suppliers will be invited to tender for the framework agreements, which will initially run for three years with an option to extend for a further two.

A spokeswoman for the ODPM said there are not yet any specific details of trial locations or the amount of government funding committed to the project.

"Government remains committed to multi-channel e-enabled general elections some time after 2006," she said.