E-voting can be exploited, says expert

FAR OFF: MAY BE USED AFTER 2031 IN SA – IEC >> DearSA facilitating parliamentary public participation process on it.

- Eric Mthobeli Naki

While an electronic voting (e-voting) system is a long way from being implemented in South Africa, concerns have been raised that it may be vulnerable to manipulation of results.

Election integrity analyst Michael Atkins said: "Clearly, the concern is over security – and this is a complex and subtle question.

"To start with, individual machines would not be connected to the internet. But there is still the threat of results being electronically manipulated."

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) recently said while e-voting was being contemplated for the future, it would not be applied for the 2026 local government and the 2029 national and provincial elections.

It could be considered beyond the 2031 local polls as a pilot project in some voting districts, the IEC said.