The democratic dilemma of ATM and app-based e-voting

ON MAY 22, 2024, at a joint IEC-Unisa engagement hosted at the Unisa-Durban campus, I had the privilege of presenting my research on electronic voting (e-voting) in South Africa.

- PROFESSOR COLIN THAKUR

The audience - comprising about 200 participants from academia, civil society, and industry - grappled with the future of elections in a digital democracy. Core concerns included the digital divide, inadequate voter education and the technical infrastructure required to support secure and inclusive e-voting.

Amid this robust debate, one audience member posed an intriguing question: Why not piggyback on banking apps or ATMs to collect votes securely? The suggestion — lateral and bold - demands thoughtful consideration, as it taps into the increasing appetite for leveraging familiar, trusted technologies to solve public challenges. We must have clear credible reasons for any decision choice.

Interestingly, this ATM idea is not new. I explored similar terrain in my 2010 research report commissioned by the IEC, titled The X-National Experience. At the time, the national ATM footprint stood at 19996, growing steadily to peak at 33025 in 2019, before declining to around 28467 today.

This figure compares favourably to the 23 293 voting stations now deployed during national elections.