The Standing Committee on Innovation and E-Policy of the State Great Hural (Parliament) held a meeting on January 14, 2025, to discuss the possibility of enabling Mongolian citizens residing abroad to participate in elections electronically via the e-Mongolia system. The committee also reviewed reports from the Chairman of the General Election Commission, the National Data Center, and the Director of the e-Mongolia Academy.

At the beginning of the session, the committee deliberated two draft resolutions directing the government to take specific measures. One resolution pertained to incorporating cybersecurity-related expenditures into the state budget classification and ensuring compliance with the Law on Public Information Transparency. It tasked the government with presenting implementation results during the spring session of 2025. The second resolution focused on improving accessibility and transparency in budgetary data, requiring public disclosure of financial details on expenditures and projects in compliance with relevant laws. Both resolutions were approved by a majority vote.

The meeting also approved a resolution to establish a working group tasked with studying and providing recommendations on ensuring the right of Mongolian citizens abroad to vote electronically. The working group will assess the feasibility of integrating electronic voting with the e-Mongolia system and address the legal, technical, and security challenges associated with such an initiative.

During the session, P. Delgernaran, Chairman of the General Election Commission, provided an overview of election participation by Mongolians abroad. He highlighted that, during the 2024 elections, 75% of the 187,000 eligible overseas voters cast their ballots, with electronic voter registration significantly streamlining the process. He noted that many countries, including Estonia, France, New Zealand, and the United States, use electronic voting systems alongside traditional voting methods such as in-person and postal voting.

Director of the e-Mongolia Academy, B. Myagmarnaran, presented potential solutions for enhancing the accessibility of the e-Mongolia system for citizens abroad. He reported that the platform currently offers 1,263 services from 87 government agencies, receiving around 7 million interactions per month from overseas users. The academy identified digital signature authentication as the most viable method for securely verifying voters abroad.

M. Battulga, Director of the National Data Center, provided additional information, stating that 816 types of government services are now accessible online. He emphasized the need for robust identification solutions for citizens living abroad, referencing the "Unified System for Identification and Verification," which has been legally mandated for secure electronic interactions. This system currently uses methods such as one-time codes, bank account verification, and digital signatures.

Members of Parliament J. Galbadrakh, D. Bum-Ochir, and J. Zoljargal raised questions about the preparedness for electronic voting, potential issues with verifying voters who may have unresolved legal matters, and measures to ensure cybersecurity. The working group representatives emphasized that establishing the necessary legal framework and conducting comprehensive studies on technology, security, and other related issues would be the first priorities.

The establishment of this working group is considered a significant step toward enabling electronic voting for Mongolian citizens abroad, addressing long standing challenges while ensuring inclusivity and security.