Parliament, Tuesday, 13 May 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday welcomed the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) briefing on e-voting but raised several concerns.
The committee sought the briefing to get more clarity on the IEC’s Electronic Voting Policy Discussion Document.
Outlining the objectives, global trends, key considerations and potential benefits of a transition to e-voting, the IEC told the committee that no decision has been taken to implement e-voting but that a national conversation about it is necessary. The IEC has a six-month public consultation underway from March until September this year, and these inputs will inform a revised policy discussion document, culminating in a Green Paper expected by March next year.
The committee heard that some of the objectives of e-voting are that it may boost voter turnout and youth participation in elections, something that has been on a downward trend over the years. Another objective is to increase access, especially for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, as e-voting can help address linguistic, visual and physical barriers, and improve electoral participation. Members also heard that the idea is to improve electoral efficiency by reducing the time to count and process votes, as the manual system is quite labour-intensive. E-voting systems often deliver faster and more accurate results.
The committee acknowledged that it is essential for the country to adapt to evolving democratic needs. However, the committee noted that much work must still be done. Among the considerations that members flagged are the country’s ICT capacity and readiness, the IEC’s capacity, cybersecurity risks, public trust in the system, the need for the process to be constitutionally sound and various logistical concerns. Members cited issues such as loadshedding, limited internet access, especially in remote rural areas, digital illiteracy among some members of the public and how voters’ personal information will be protected.
The committee stressed that before introducing any new system, there must be certainty that it will improve efficiency and inclusivity beyond the limitations of the current manual voting system.
Committee Chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize said, “Somewhere in the future there may be more electronic voting, but between now and then a lot of gaps must be addressed.” The Chairperson said that although it is good for the IEC to look ahead and explore new ideas, there must be certainty about several issues. He said there is a need to clearly define the problem the IEC wants to solve through e-voting. Then, the type of technology and course best suited to the country’s contextual needs must be determined. The Chairperson also highlighted the need to ensure that any system implemented is transparent, aligned with the Constitution and has a clear paper trail that can be audited.
The Chairperson said whatever is decided must follow an inclusive engagement process based on sound evidence and might need to be done through some pilots to see if it works compared to the manual system.
The committee stressed the importance of public confidence and trust, also through engaging political parties. The committee welcomed the IEC’s willingness to brief political parties directly and urged all political parties to make use of this opportunity.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COGTA, DR ZWELI MKHIZE.
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E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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