Money saved on printing costs after transitioning to e-voting, IEC told
The IEC is on day two of its e-voting seminar, looking at the possibility of introducing electronic voting to South Africa.
Electronic voting system on display at the IEC’s conference on the feasibility of e-voting. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/EWN.
JOHANNESBURG - Some countries that have transitioned from paper-based voting to electronic have told the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) they have saved money on printing costs.
The IEC is on day two of its e-voting seminar, looking at the possibility of introducing electronic voting to South Africa.
The commission is also looking at whether electronic voting would save it money, as it printed about 90 million ballot papers in the 2024 general elections.
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Estonia, in Europe, first introduced internet voting in 2005 to supplement its paper-based voting.
Speaking virtually at the e-voting seminar, the head of Estonia’s Electoral Commission, Arne Koitmae, said the country has cut down significantly on its paper costs.
“By price, internet voting has now [become] the cheapest voting method by far because it is used so extensively.”
Namibia has been using electronic voting machines in their national elections since 2014.
The director of operations at Namibia’s Electoral Commission, Zenia Klazen, said their elections are now cheaper after moving away from paper.
“There is also the benefit of long-term cost saving as the same machines can be used in all subsequent elections.
“The most important advantage is the printing of millions of ballot papers that can be dispensed with, as only one ballot paper is required for fixing onto the ballot unit at each polling station instead of each ballot paper for an individual elector.”