DURBAN - With the local government elections results still being counted, calls for the digitisation of elections emerged as analysts and political parties conceded that the voter turn-out was at its lowest since the dawn of democracy.
Thabo Shabangu, a young teacher who spoke to the Daily News on Tuesday, said the youth did not make time to go to the voting stations because they did not understand the value of voting.
“The IEC needs to engage in voter education. Young people need to be encouraged and involved in strategic leadership positions. Voter absenteeism from the youth can also be addressed through the digitisation of elections so they can vote on their smartphones. The use of technology or electronic voting process can be a solution,” said Shabangu.
IFP leader in eThekwini, Mdu Nkosi, said the digitising of elections was a good initiative. However, it would pose a challenge for elderly people who were technologically challenged.
“We still have support amongst elderly people. This (digitisation) might not work well for the older generation but, with the young people, this could be a great innovation. The IFP would have to engage in this at the national level.”
ActionSA spokesperson in eThekwini, Busi Gumede, said that although the country should be moving towards a digital system, it would be difficult to do so because the IEC has no capacity.
“There would be a lot of election-rigging and this would possibly call for re-election after each election. Young people do almost everything online.”
DA MP and the party’s electoral representative in the IEC, Haniff Hoosen, said: “The IEC seemed to have introduced some digital electoral process but, unfortunately, during voter registrations, these systems crashed and many people could not register or update their details.”
He added that the telecommunications networks in the country would have to be updated to accommodate such important changes.
“With any system the IEC introduced, there are always challenges, but the IEC would obviously do balances and checks. As a country, we need to invest in the rural areas and introduce digital systems to the people so they can participate in digital technology.”
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