The voting challenge of Frontex
Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, plays a crucial role in managing the EU’s external borders and combating cross-border crime. As a center of excellence for border control, Frontex coordinates critical activities to ensure European security, sharing information and expertise among EU and Schengen countries and collaborating with third countries affected by migration and international crime.
In this context, introducing a voting system that guarantees high standards of security, flexibility, and accessibility was essential to facilitate operational decisions. After extensive research on a European and international scale, Frontex identified Eligo as the solution capable of meeting all its requirements.
The solution
The first vote was conducted in October by Frontex from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM at the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) division. With the full participation of 30 representatives, the voting took place in person, with participants using tablets provided by the organizers to cast their votes. A total of eight votes were planned with Eligo, and this initial session aimed to elect key positions and approve work procedures.
The agenda included three main points, each voted on at distinct times to respect the assembly’s flow. The first two votes, conducted by secret ballot, focused on electing the chairperson and vice-chairperson.
The third vote, an open ballot, addressed the approval of the “ESB rules of procedure.” Some Frontex organizers requested administrative access to the Eligo platform to independently manage the opening and closing of voting sessions, enhancing operational flexibility and reducing the need for external support. To ensure proper platform use, these administrators received targeted training tailored to their specific needs.
Results
The introduction of Eligo made the voting process seamless and independently manageable, achieving a 100% turnout: all 30 representatives actively participated in each of the three votes. Despite single candidacies for the first two votes, some participants chose to submit blank ballots, exercising their freedom of choice. The approval of the “ESB rules of procedure” received overwhelming support with 29 votes in favor and one blank ballot.
The ability of Frontex organizers to autonomously manage digital voting operations, thanks to the training provided, streamlined workflow and minimized the need for technical intervention with Eligo.
This first experience with Eligo proved to be a success in securely and accurately managing voting processes for Frontex, establishing the platform as a reliable and innovative tool for internal voting and decision-making.
