The
Argentine government is looking to overhaul the country's electoral system
ahead of the 2017 elections.
Topping
the proposed electoral reform agenda is poll automation, which many Argentines
believe has become an imperative after manual voting failed in 2015. The
proposed reforms, which have yet to reach Congress, also includes a wide array
of issues such as campaign financing and a revamp of election calendars.
This
move by Mauricio Macri's government is seen by observers as an encouraging
response to the problems encountered during the first round of the 2015
presidential elections when the manual system collapsed. The issues with the
paper-based system were so widespread and serious that a comprehensive reform
became a campaign platform for Macri.
The
lack of an efficient system to process votes has long beset Argentina leading
provinces such as Salta and Cordoba to adopt their own technology solutions.
In
2015, the Province of Buenos Aires used a sort of ballot printing and scanning
technology that had been used in Salta since 2009. Although the technology
helped count the votes, many technology experts were wary of the system's
security features.
An article
published in La Nacion-a
leading Argentine outlet-, provides detailed information on the different
problems found in this particular system. Although authorities have downplayed
the effects of the incidents, the technology continued to be under the scrutiny
of IT experts.
During
the recent ekoparty Security Conference, the system used in Salta also came
under heavy fire from IT practitioners Barrera Oro and Javier Smaldone
who worried about the system's lack of transparency and insufficient
security.
According
to the Buenos
Aires Herald, the
system that is being proposed in the draft bill resembles the system in
question, which has led some stakeholders to call for more consultation.
The
reform proposal faces months of intense debates in the Congress before it can
be passed into a law. The proponents would also need to work closely with the
academe and election technology experts to craft a solution tailored to the
country's complex requirements. Yet many are optimistic that the proposal is a
step in the right direction in achieving the country's long-time goal of having
credible elections.
