IEC told e-voting advantages far outweigh its disadvantages
On Tuesday, at the e-voting seminar in Cape Town, the IEC heard from three countries who have moved away from paper-based voting to electronic.
Electronic voting systems on display at the IEC’s conference on the feasibility of e-voting. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/EWN.
CAPE TOWN - The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has been told the advantages of online voting far outweigh the disadvantages.
On Tuesday, at the e-voting seminar in Cape Town, the IEC heard from three countries that have moved away from paper-based voting to electronic.
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These countries include the Republic of Estonia, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
While there is general consensus that electronic voting costs less money and, on average, it takes less time for a voter to cast their ballot, there are still some issues around it.
Estonia first introduced internet voting in 2004. However, that has not translated to a better voter turnout.
Dieudonne Tshiyoyo from the DRC's Electoral Commission said digital illiteracy among the voters is a huge issue.
“The second issue is the low literacy when it comes to data or use of electronic devices. Not only in rural areas but even in big cities, not everyone can use easily those machines.”
Representatives from the different countries have advised the IEC that the quicker it introduces online voting, the sooner it can start educating voters on how to use it.