IEC exploring possibility of online voting
IEC’s deputy chief electoral officer, Masego Sheburi, said that making some parts of the election process digital could make the processes more efficient.
Picture: Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The Electoral Commission (IEC) is exploring the possibility of online voting.
The IEC, which conducts the country’s elections, will host a three-day seminar next week on e-voting.
The seminar will also look at reviewing the commission’s electronic systems in a bid to improve the voting process.
South Africa currently only holds tangible paper-based elections.
However, with each election held, the ballot papers keep getting longer as more parties participate in the democratic process.
In last year’s general elections, the IEC printed 90 million ballot papers.
IEC’s deputy chief electoral officer, Masego Sheburi, said that making some parts of the election process digital could make the processes more efficient.
"The commission consistently explores ways to further extend access to the vote and to introduce further convenience to the voters. So the purpose of the seminar is to begin a country conversation to say what technology can be used to enhance voter experience, the legitimacy of electoral outcomes, drive up the rate of participation and to drive down the cost of running elections."
Companies with online voting machines will be showcasing their systems at the IEC’s e-voting seminar in Cape Town next week.