Electronic voting could improve voter turnout, suggests research
Increasing voter apathy is one of a host of considerations at an e-voting feasibility conference currently underway in Cape Town.
The IEC held its electronic voting conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town on 10 March 2025. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/EWN
CAPE TOWN - New electoral research suggests the youth could be more inclined to vote if an electronic voting system is adopted.
Increasing voter apathy is one of a host of considerations at an e-voting feasibility conference currently underway in Cape Town.
But the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) noted that distrust in e-voting systems had made it an unpopular choice on the continent.
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The Electoral Commission said it wanted to stimulate the debate on how technology can be used to strengthen the electoral process and the voter experience.
The HSRC's Simangele Dlamini said its latest research indicated that electronic voting could improve voter turnout, especially among groups who spend a lot of time online.
Some universities have already experimented with e-voting.
"Young people who are accustomed to using digital technologies in their daily lives, often find traditional, paper-based voting systems cumbersome and outdated."
The University of Pretoria's Heather Thuynsma, however, said that voter apathy among the youth was about more than just the voting method.
"That's not an IEC problem in terms of voting platforms, that's a problem with political parties and civil society not getting through to students and the youth."
A representative from the University of Cape Town said students often experienced problems such as fees and accommodation and could be more inclined to vote if they felt their concerns were being addressed.