The technology-driven electoral landscape is rapidly changing. With current budget deficits, Africa will need the right digital skills if it is to be seen as effectively handling elections.
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) tools in elections worldwide. Best practices in mature democracies around the world show that technology provides a safe, effective and efficient alternative to traditional voting processes. However, the adoption of electoral technology in Africa has been slow and often ineffective. Is it due to a clear lack of ICT expertise among practitioners and decision makers, or is it something more sinister, such as deliberate sabotage of ICT adoption by politicians in some African countries? is it?
ICT in African elections is in a mixed bag
Mature electoral systems have successfully implemented ICT, but Africa's experience is mixed. There is conflicting evidence regarding the impact of ICT proficiency on election outcomes in Africa. The prevailing opinion is that adopting a digital election process is easy. However, in most cases, the results are not so, raising questions about the skill of those who manage the electoral body's IT systems.
For example, in Nigeria, research shows that voters responded favorably to ICT in the electoral process, while in Tanzania, voters believe that the Internet may have negatively affected the fairness of elections and skewed the results. Another study shows what we feel.
There was a fierce reaction in Kenya. The adoption of digital technology for electoral purposes was challenged three times in Kenya's Supreme Court during the 2013, 2017 and 2022 general elections. The introduction of the digital system so enraged voters that it led to the death of his ICT manager at the Kenyan electoral body after a demonstration of his ICT system being introduced in the 2017 general elections. The sequence of events regarding how ICT personnel were involved in election fraud was cited by Supreme Court judges as part of a systematic systemic failure aided by malice.
As a result, the 2017 presidential election was invalidated and new elections were held. Kenyans have revealed serious flaws in the implementation (rather than ICT itself) in the voting process, from voter registration to awareness and distribution of results.
Cameroon, lighthouse
To avoid a repeat of Kenya's experience, countries like Cameroon have developed and adopted actionable ICT implementation strategic plans. Implementation of this strategy includes providing extensive training in digital technologies to election officials, acquiring appropriate ICT equipment, and setting up secure infrastructure at field offices.
ICT skills are considered an essential part of successful election management. However, especially in African countries where elections have moved to digital electoral systems, the glorification of ICT skills is beginning to influence constituencies and voters' attitudes towards the outcome of elections.
Lack of ICT skills is at the heart of inappropriate implementation
The introduction of systems such as biometric voter registration and identification, electronic voting, electronic voter registration, electronic tabulation and associated digital infrastructure has exposed serious flaws in some African electoral processes. The biggest factor is the lack of ICT skills.
Studies on the adoption of technology in African electoral processes in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria all support this point. Even the United Nations Election Observation Mission in Africa notes that the inadequate implementation of electronic voting to increase political participation and public confidence in elections is actually reducing voters' confidence in election technology.
Nepotism and political interference at the heart of sabotage
That said, the problem is much deeper than just a lack of skills. This is also symptomatic of the culture and design of electoral management in Africa. Politically, most elections in Africa, whether conducted manually or electronically, are designed to favor the incumbent.
This opens the door to political influence over employment choices. Technical proficiency, experience, and professionalism should ideally be prioritized when hiring election management body (EMB) technicians. Nevertheless, political factors often take precedence in African elections, as observed in the Kenyan context. Similar issues have been observed in Nigeria even as Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appeared to prioritize ICT experts over political appointments.
The inability to rapidly and meaningfully deploy technology calls into question the legitimacy and effectiveness of existing electoral processes in hotly contested elections, especially with regard to the time-consuming resolution of electoral disputes.
What skills does the future of elections in Africa require?
The technology-driven electoral landscape is rapidly changing. With current budget deficits, Africa will need the right digital skills if it is to be seen as effectively handling elections. Cybersecurity proficiency is essential to protecting election systems from cyberattacks, while data analysis skills enable intelligent analysis of voter data.
Additionally, understanding blockchain technology can improve election security and transparency, and understanding artificial intelligence and machine learning can help with anomaly detection and predictive modeling. While mastery of mobile technology is essential for creating voter registration applications and sharing election-related materials, knowledge of geographic information systems can ease the process of drawing election boundaries. Additionally, thorough processing of election data requires potential skills in election information management systems.
In contrast, proficiency in social media management is essential to raising public awareness and countering misinformation. Election officials also need training in digital literacy to be able to use new technologies effectively, and managing their network infrastructure is essential to running online systems efficiently.
The road to free and fair digital elections is long
The lack of qualified personnel is a major barrier to the effective integration of ICT in electoral procedures. Systems administration, data management, and cybersecurity are just a few of the areas in which competencies are required to deploy and maintain complex systems. The lack of these experts poses a significant barrier to implementation and leaves voting systems open to attack. The problem is further exacerbated by inadequate training for current staff, who may not be able to use or troubleshoot new technology with the same efficiency and accuracy.
The challenge of pinpointing the ICT skills needed further exacerbates this shortage. This in turn opens the door to political appointments and nepotism. All these factors contribute to poor election management in Africa.
How can we move forward?
To effectively address the challenges of ICT proficiency and election monitoring in Africa, it is important to focus on confronting implementation barriers, closing the digital gap, and strengthening cybersecurity protocols. Underpinning this should be legal reforms that prioritize skills-based selection for ICT roles to shape the legal environment for election management.
This requires the drafting of specific legislation to regulate the recruitment process, training of staff, updating of training materials, and consistent upgrading of technology and qualifications. Precise certification criteria must be developed. To ensure transparency, independent monitoring bodies should be empowered to inspect and certify employment procedures. Public consultation on electoral management legislation can help build trust in skeptical voter communities by highlighting the importance of ICT capabilities and promoting skills-based recruitment methods. By strengthening the EMB's legal foundation, this comprehensive strategy should facilitate the recruitment of highly skilled IT staff for election procedures.
Gedion Onyango is a senior lecturer in the School of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. He is also a research fellow at the Firoz Lalji Institute for African Studies and the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research focuses on digital governance, public accountability, and public policy in African countries..
Japheth Ondiek is currently a Ph.D. He is a student of public policy at the University of Nairobi. He is a researcher in digital transformation and technology, focusing on how digital policy impacts accountability, decision-making and service delivery in public sector institutions.
Ondiek and Onyango are research contributors to the Tayarisha Center for Digital Excellence at the Wits School of Governance.
This article is part of The Digital Afrikan’s Election Series – 2024. The Digital Afrikan is a journalism organization with a mission to drive Africa's digital transformation.Visit our website or contact us here [email protected].
