In many nations, technology is present in electoral-process activities, and in certain circumstances, it is critical to the conduct of elections. Technology is used to construct voter lists, establish electoral boundaries, manage and educate workers, print ballots, run voter education campaigns, record cast votes, count and consolidate vote tallies, and publicize election results, among other things. The effective use of technology in elections may improve administrative efficiency, lower long-term expenses, and boost political transparency. Printing presses,, manual typewriters, electronic calculators, ball point pens and radios are examples of earlier technology utilized in elections, as are computers, optical scanners, digital mapping, and the Internet. For countries without access to technology, the logistics of contemporary large-scale elections can be a significant difficulty.
The amount of sophistication of technology used to administer elections across the world varies tremendously. Because the rate of technological development is so rapid, election management bodies (EMBs) must frequently re-evaluate their usage of technology to assess whether new or updated technology should be used to improve their effectiveness. The use of technology here is not a goal in itself, but rather a means to an end in many parts of electoral administration. Electronic database management systems, for example, can be utilized in a variety of aspects of the election process, including voter lists, material inventories, staff management, payroll, election results distribution, and statistics. Elections for member organizations have gone a long way in the previous 20 years. While paper ballots remain popular, organizations have introduced phone and Internet voting alternatives throughout the years.
With technology constantly advancing at the speed of light, it is advantageous for member organizations to use the most recent election technology. More voting alternatives make it easier for members to vote, member organizations boost election participation, and organizations profit from increased member involvement. Here are five technological advancements to think about for your next election:
Embedded login links: When organizations provide an online voting option, the most common problem is that potential voters forget their user name and/or password information. You may avoid this problem by include auto login URLs in the election invitation email and any subsequent reminder mailings! Users merely click the link, and they are instantly authenticated and granted access to the online voting system, where they may cast their secure ballot.
Geo-spatial mapping: People react quicker to visual data, and geo-spatial mapping converts your member election data into interactive visualizations, allowing you to acquire a quick grasp of voting trends. Staff and volunteers may find new possibilities, identify voter strengths and weaknesses, and rapidly gain an in-depth insight and analysis of what occurs throughout your elections.
QR codes: When it comes to encouraging members to vote, the idea is to make it as simple and straightforward as possible. Voters may instantly check in to their secure online votes by scanning the code (written on tailored election materials) with their mobile device using bespoke QR codes. And your organization is credited with providing a quick and easy option for your members to vote!
Single sign-on: As previously stated, "I forgot my login credentials" is the most often heard statement by member organizations during any elections — yet another obstacle to voting. Single sign-on technology transforms your organization's website into an online election portal, securely authenticating eligible voters on the spot. Single sign-on is a strong solution that works for you since it eliminates forgotten passwords and increases traffic to your website.
Participation reminders: Members are far less likely to vote if they do not get an election reminder. Members who get at least three election reminders are roughly twice as likely to vote. When well-timed and well designed, letters, postcards, emails, and online reminders are a proven strategy to increase voter participation. If this seems a little bit difficult, it might be because you don't use technology to schedule, implement, track, and report the outcomes. Allow technology to do this chore for you. When tested and effectively applied, technology has the potential to improve voter participation by offering members with quick, accessible, convenient, and secure ways to cast ballots.
Governments may employ ICT in the voting process for a variety of reasons. The implementation of ICT is frequently viewed as an essential step in the battle against dwindling attendance. In other circumstances, the adoption of ICT is motivated by the need to improve the integrity of the voting process. To prevent voters from enrolling in more than one municipal registry, Brazil developed an electronic voter registration system. Furthermore, the need for rapid distribution of results may be a cause to implement, for example, computerized ballot counting.