Electronic voting: is this the way to go for future elections?
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Electronic voting (e-voting) is seen as a way of solving some of the challenges associated with traditional, paper-based voting, such as providing fast and seamless ballot tabulation and fewer unintentionally spoilt ballots. It is argued that e-voting could mitigate low voter turnout and low participation by young people, who tend to find paper-based voting tedious and prefer much shorter voting systems such as e-voting. The present study draws on desktop research, findings from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Voter Participation Survey (VPS), and key informant interview data to assess whether e-voting may be a viable option for use in electoral processes in Africa, and in South Africa in particular. The research concludes that if e-voting were to be implemented by countries across Africa, including South Africa, the transition process would take several years, and would require careful planning and testing.
DOI: 10.14749/32361102
Author: Human Sciences Research Council
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Human Sciences Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7162108005
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