When properly implemented, e-voting brings
a substantial improvement of the government’s ability to serve its citizens
with transparency and efficiency. Note the words “when properly implemented.”
It’s important to remember that the adoption
of voting technologies is not limited to the mere usage of voting machines. In
order for these devices to be used correctly, offer seamless performance during
the electoral event, and yield accurate results, a good voting technology
company requires a series of suitable actions and adequate software.. But what
does this all mean? Let’s take a look at the process that will ensure a
successful election when a country decides to implement e-voting.
Once the implementation of e-voting is
approved by the government, a tender process begins to select the company that
will provide the technology. Good e-voting companies should have a perfect
track record that speaks for them. They also need to guarantee that their
e-voting solution will be tailored to the specific needs of the country, as
electoral activities and legal frameworks are different in every nation. Needless
to say, transparency should be key in the bidding process, as it is precisely
part of what the e-voting company is offering.
After a company is selected, it is expected
that it prepares, executes and delivers the project on time and on budget. This
requires skilled and experienced consultants and best practices to be proven
effective. Here, the company’s past experience is critical to determine if it
is up to the challenge of handling the elections they have been hired for.
A good e-voting company provides support
and operation centers capable to solve any field contingency, information and
communication systems and software for real time monitoring, well-defined
logistics for deployment and withdrawal of equipment, and available training,
documentation and course materials. Furthermore, the company must allow for
audits to be performed before, during and after the election.
Now, what is needed in order to carry out a
successful election, equipment-wise? The voting machine cannot operate on its
own, so adequate software must be installed for a user-friendly voter
experience. Also, an e-counting system must be integrated to eliminate manual
vote counting, which is cumbersome and could be laded with human error. Additional
features are an added value that an above-average e-voting company will offer.
Some of these include biometric authentication systems, which enhance security
and protect the one voter, one vote principle.
As we can see, many factors come to play
when it comes to automating an election. Electronic voting is an important step
for the benefit of democracy in which the quality of the electoral technology company
selected will reflect on the quality of the electoral process.
