IEC Backs E-Voting to Boost Youth Participation and Improve Accessibility
By GlobalZa
The Independent Electoral Commission is pushing for electronic voting in South Africa to boost youth participation, improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and make elections more efficient.
IEC Backs E-Voting to Boost Youth Participation and Improve Accessibility
BLOEMFONTEIN – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is exploring the introduction of electronic voting (e-voting) in South Africa, with the aim of improving voting efficiency, inclusivity, and participation — particularly among young voters.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Bloemfontein, IEC Head of Research Dr. Thabo Rapoo said e-voting technology could revolutionise the voting process by making it faster, more accessible, and fairer.
“Everybody can access them, including people with disabilities,” Rapoo explained. “Some machines can be designed for the blind or deaf, with audio functionalities, braille compatibility, and multilingual options to ensure no voter is excluded.”
According to Rapoo, e-voting would not only streamline the casting and counting of votes but also save time and reduce human error, ensuring more accurate results.
Free State Provincial Electoral Officer Jabulani Tshabalala believes e-voting could significantly increase youth turnout. “Young people tend to be tech-savvy and prefer digital platforms. Introducing this system could make the voting process more appealing to them,” he said.
Tshabalala added that e-voting could also reduce costs in the long term. “It could mean savings in the budget, as we would invest in reusable gadgets once, with only maintenance costs thereafter. It also uses less paper, which is better for the environment.”
The IEC says it will continue consulting stakeholders as it develops the framework for implementing e-voting in future elections.