Growing Public Interest

South Africans across all communities have shown increasing interest in how technology could improve our voting system. This builds on our first e-voting conference held in 2013.

Advancing Technology

Digital technology and cybersecurity have advanced significantly in recent years. As your electoral commission, we have a duty to explore whether these developments could make voting more efficient and accessible for all South Africans.

Changing Voter Demographics

With more tech-savvy young voters joining our democracy, we need to evaluate if our current voting methods best serve everyone's needs.

Challenges with Manual Voting

Our manual voting system faces some challenges, especially with our increasingly complex electoral system and a growing population. We need to examine if technology could help address these issues.

African Leadership

Several African nations are already exploring electronic voting. With South Africa's strong democratic institutions and infrastructure, we should be part of this important continental conversation.

Important Note

This is just the beginning of a careful consultation process – not a decision to implement e-voting. If South Africa eventually decides to adopt electronic voting, it would be a long-term project requiring extensive planning and public input.

1. Internet Voting

• Allows voters to cast ballots from any computer with internet access
• Can be done from home, work, or designated voting stations
• Uses encryption and security protocols to protect vote integrity

2. Direct Recording e-voting machines

• Voters mark paper ballots which are then scanned and counted electronically.
• Combines physical paper records with electronic counting.
• Often seen as a good compromise between traditional and fully electronic voting.

3. Electronic counting systems

• Voters cast their votes directly on a computer terminal, known as an electronic voting machine (EVM).
• The machine records and stores votes digitally.
• May provide a paper backup of each vote (called a Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail or VVPAT)

• Improved electoral efficiency: Faster vote counting and result tabulation and reduced human error in vote counting.
• Potential to boost voter turnout, especially among younger, more digitally literate voters.
• Potential for increased accessibility for disabled voters.
• Can help prevent certain types of electoral fraud.
• Enables more efficient elections in a larger population.

• Cybersecurity risks and potential for hacking.
• Need for robust back-up systems.
• Voter trust and transparency concerns.
• Digital divide and accessibility issues.
• Initial set-up costs and technical infrastructure requirements.
• Need for voter education and training.

• Assessment of technical feasibility and security requirements
• Evaluation of infrastructure readiness across the country
• Analysis of implementation costs and resource requirements
• Review of necessary legislative amendments
• Consideration of international best practices and lessons learned

• Pilot testing in selected voting districts
• Comprehensive voter education programmes
• Regular security audits and system assessments
• Ongoing stakeholder consultation and feedback integration
• Progressive roll-out based on success metrics and public confidence.

1. Tune into the livestreams of the E-Voting Conference on our YouTube channel @IECSouthAfrica.
2. Read the E-Voting Green Paper (to be launched on 10 March 2024 and available at www.elections.org.za).
3. Send your comments to us at [email protected].
4. Organise community discussions and submit group feedback to us at [email protected].
5. Share your views with us on our social media pages @IECSouthAfrica.
6. Join the conversation on social media using #SAeVoting2025.

• How to ensure the system is protected against tampering and cyber attacks
• What backup plans are needed for technical problems
• How to maintain public confidence in election results

• Ways to address the digital divide between urban and rural areas
• How to ensure all voters can participate easily, regardless of tech experience
• Whether to maintain traditional voting alongside electronic options

• Understanding the full costs compared to current election expenses
• Planning realistic timelines for testing and rollout
• Learning from other countries' experiences

• Methods for voters to verify their votes
• Systems for independent monitoring and auditing
• How to maintain transparency throughout the process

• What laws would need to change
• How to ensure compliance with our Constitution
• Handling any election disputes

• Programmes to help voters understand the new system
• Training for election staff
• Public demonstrations and testing

• Keeping voter information secure
• Protecting voter anonymity
• Managing election data responsibly

• Choosing appropriate technology
• Planning for power supply issues
• Creating reliable backup systems