Electronic voting: Lessons and guide for developing countries

This paper investigates electronic voting (e-Voting) and how it can be effectively implemented in developing countries with reduced risk. A brief review of global e-Voting efforts is first presented. Results generally show that e-Voting is fast gaining acceptance in developing countries. Unlike other application areas of Information and Communication Technology where Europe and North America provide frameworks and best practices, developing countries appear to be taking the lead in e-Voting adoption. However, there are sound arguments for both the enthusiastic and the conservative approaches to e-Voting. The paper synthesizes both technical and non-technical requirements for an effective e-Voting system.This is followed by an evaluation of the feasibility of its widespread adoption in developing countries.The evaluation is based on the analysis of global e-government readiness data. An Integrated Voting System (IVS) is subsequently proposed as a suitable framework for developing innovative e-Voting systems.The IVS framework supports the coherent exploitation of available voting technologies and processes in addition to manual procedures.Mobile and Telephone lines are particularly emphasised as viable channels for e-Voting in developing countries.The implementation of the IVS model based on OASIS e-Voting Technical Standards is also briefly described.Finally,specific guidelines on e-Voting are provided.