Readiness Assessment for Implementing E-Voting System in Ethiopia: a Gap Analysis From Supply Side
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2020-06-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Extant literature revealed that elections conducted in traditional ways mostly result in crises and conflicts. Intending to address such challenges, it has been a few decades since countries have begun using e-voting technology as an electoral system to conduct a transparent election. Countries that used e-voting technology have managed the political, social, and economic instability and crisis that arise from election fraud. However, the application of this new system encountered different challenges due to a lack of readiness to exploit its value, especially in developing countries context. Thus, it is vital to support the electoral system through technology to make the election result credible to citizens and political parties. The readiness of government, citizens, and political parties need to be assessed before using e-voting as an electoral system.
The main purpose of this study is to assess the gaps in the readiness of the country for e-voting system implementation. The researcher has employed a qualitative research method to explore the factors that affect the readiness of e-voting technology in Ethiopia. The qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews and document reviews to identify the gaps. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.
The finding revealed that the country is not ready in terms of ICT infrastructure, human resources, and legality measures for e-voting technology. There is no adequate ICT infrastructure for e-voting system implementation throughout the country. There is also a lack of qualified human resources, a lack of budget, and the inexistence of legal structure. Finally, recommendations for the readiness of e-voting system implementation were proposed.
Description
Keywords
Electronic-Voting System, E-Voting Readiness, E-Readiness