In an age when so much can be accomplished without ever stepping outside, it seems anachronistic and downright anomalous to hear of voters still not able to vote just because they cannot be physically present at a polling center. For Paul DeGregorio, former chairman of US Elections Assistance Commission, disenfranchised groups such as the disabled and ...
Technology is playing a big role in strengthening democracy by modernizing election administration. This was noted by Brigalia Bam, former chairperson of Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa who wrote in an article about the growing number of electoral commissions in the region relying on technology to improve election processes, particularly voter registration. “A credible voter ...
Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, former head of the Election Commission of India, recently penned an article in which he provides some interesting insights on the benefits technology has brought to Indian elections. India, the largest democracy in the world -over 815 million voters- deploys has used electronic voting machines since 2004. In his piece, Quraishi claims that accurate ...
An online survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence right after the recent U.S. presidential election revealed that voters are ready for an overhaul of the election technology inventory. According to survey results, 82% of voters believe improving U.S. voting technology would make the voting process more efficient, increase voter turnout and strengthen democracy. In the months prior to ...
Richard Soudriette, founder and former president of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), labeled Philippines, Estonia, Brazil, India and Estonia as pioneers for their pioneering efforts in implementing electoral technology. In his essay, which is part of the Future of Elections report, he noted that Brazil adopted nationwide electronic voting as early as 2000 and had ...
Photo courtesy of: http://beyondthe.eu/e-democracy-ukraine/ Political observers who are quick to spot movements just bubbling under the surface have recently taken notice of how e-Democracy is enabling more and more citizens to contribute in policy-making. At its core, e-democracy (or digital democracy) is that political school of thought that espouses the use of information and communications technology (ICT) ...
Pundits have started to speculate how close the US presidential race will be. Is it going to be a blowout similar to when President Lyndon Jonson trounced Barry Goldwater (R) in 1954 by winning 61.05 percent of the popular vote? Or will it be a cliffhanger that will keep the public on the edge of their ...
“The 21st Century is truly the golden age of technology. Humanity depends on technology for everything with one notable exception, voting. For more than two centuries democracies have relied on hand counted paper ballots and ballot boxes to conduct elections. Reluctance to invest in election technology often comes from unfounded misgivings about the reliability, accuracy ...