OPINIONISTA: Biometric voting has many pitfalls, but it could work in South Africa By Duduetsang Mokoele and Nomaqhawe Moyo
As South Africans go to the polls, there is the talk of new, biometric technology to help the electoral process. Some argue the introduction of this technology is inevitable, given the significant increase worldwide in its use in elections over the past 20 years. Particularly in Africa and Asia, technology has often been the preferred solution to allegations of electoral malpractice, vote rigging, and an inefficient electoral process.
Make it easier for those who can’t easily access polling stations – such as the elderly, infirm or disabled – to vote. Furthermore, a dramatic and sudden shift from entirely paper-based voting to biometric voting can be costly and difficult to manage. While it is possible to move from a manual to a fully-functional biometric model, case studies across the globe suggest this is not advisable. Rather, an incremental approach, that draws on both manual and biometric processes, can help to limit the resources needed and the problems encountered.
The above safeguards are important, but it is important for South Africa to bear in mind that responses to threats to the electoral process can only be as good as the country’s institutions, leadership and civic engagement. What good would biometric technology be, for example, if voter intimidation or vote buying is a reality?Like all technology, biometric technology can fail and contingency measures should always be in place to ensure that the equipment runs smoothly during an election.
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