The Digital Divide and Electronic Voting in Third World Countries

The Digital Divide and Electronic Voting in Third World Countries

Author: Teckshawer Tom

Publisher: Lap Lambert Academic Publishing

Published: 2023-07-26

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 6206754049

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The objective of this book was to establish if Zimbabwe has the potential and Information Communication Technology (ICT) capacity to implement e-voting methods in the country's often discredited electoral process. The study adopted qualitative methods and secondary data collected from relevant reports, questionnaires randomly distributed to the general populace as well as interviews with Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) officials. The book highlights the global and national status of ICT adoption in Zimbabwe which is the key driver to the successful implementation of e-voting, internet coverage, and use in the country. The research also investigated how Zimbabwe citizens in the diaspora, through new Internet platforms, can exercise their right to participate in the country's political discourse and vote using the e-voting model. The findings indicate that though it can be done, it is not being practiced. Hence citizens in the diaspora are being excluded from the electoral process.


Digital Divide

Digital Divide

Author: Pippa Norris

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-09-24

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9780521002233

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There is widespread concern that the Internet is exacerbating inequalities between the information rich and poor.


Electronic Voting and Democracy

Electronic Voting and Democracy

Author: N. Kersting

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2004-08-18

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 0230523536

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Electronic and internet voting has become increasingly widespread in recent years, but which countries are the leaders of the movement and who lags behind? Is the digital divide likely to present a permanent challenge to electronic democracy? What are the experiences with regard to online voting, and what are the arguments for and against? Electronic Voting and Democracy examines these issues and the contexts in which they are played out, such as problems of legitimacy and the practical considerations that have driven some countries toward electronic voting faster than others.


World Development Report 2016

World Development Report 2016

Author: World Bank Group

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2016-01-14

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1464806721

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Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.


E-Voting and Identity

E-Voting and Identity

Author: Berry Schoenmakers

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-08-28

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 3642041345

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This volume constitutes the proceedings of the Second International Conference on E-Voting and Identity, VOTE-ID 2009, held in Luxembourg in September 2009. The 11 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 24 submissions. The selected papers cover a wide range of aspects of voting: proposals for high assurance voting systems, evaluation of existing systems, assessment of public response to electronic voting, and legal aspects.


The Digital Divide

The Digital Divide

Author: Jan van Dijk

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-01-14

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 1509534466

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Contrary to optimistic visions of a free internet for all, the problem of the ‘digital divide’ – the disparity between those with access to internet technology and those without – has persisted for close to twenty-five years. In this textbook, Jan van Dijk considers the state of digital inequality and what we can do to tackle it. Through an accessible framework based on empirical research, he explores the motivations and challenges of seeking access and the development of requisite digital skills. He addresses key questions such as: Does digital inequality reduce or reinforce existing, traditional inequalities? Does it create new, previously unknown social inequalities? While digital inequality affects all aspects of society and the problem is here to stay, Van Dijk outlines policies we can put in place to mitigate it. The Digital Divide is required reading for students and scholars of media, communication, sociology, and related disciplines, as well as for policymakers.


Point, Click, and Vote

Point, Click, and Vote

Author: R. Michael Alvarez

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780815703693

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There are serious issues, however, regarding computer security and voter fraud, unequal Internet access across socioeconomic lines (the "digital divide"), and the civic consequences of moving elections away from schools and other polling places and into private homes and offices. After all, showing up to vote is the most public civic activity many Americans engage in, and it is often their only overt participation in the democratic process."


Introducing Electronic Voting

Introducing Electronic Voting

Author: Peter Wolf

Publisher: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

Published: 2011-12-01

Total Pages: 39

ISBN-13: 9186565427

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Electronic voting is often seen as a tool for making the electoral process more efficient and for increasing trust in its management. Properly implemented, e-voting solutions can increase the security of the ballot, speed up the processing of results and make voting easier. However, the challenges are considerable. If not carefully planned and designed, e-voting can undermine the confidence in the whole electoral process. Technology upgrades in elections are always challenging projects that require careful deliberation and planning. Introducing e-voting is probably the most difficult upgrade as this technology touches the core of the entire electoral process—the casting and counting of the votes. E-voting greatly reduces direct human control and influence in this process. This provides an opportunity for solving some old electoral problems, but also introduces a whole range of new concerns. Consequently, e-voting usually triggers more criticism and opposition and is more disputed than any other information technology application in elections. This Policy Paper outlines contextual factors that can influence the success of e-voting solutions and highlights the importance of considering these factors before choosing to introduce new voting technologies.


Technology and Social Inclusion

Technology and Social Inclusion

Author: Mark Warschauer

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2004-09-17

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 0262303698

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Much of the discussion about new technologies and social equality has focused on the oversimplified notion of a "digital divide." Technology and Social Inclusion moves beyond the limited view of haves and have-nots to analyze the different forms of access to information and communication technologies. Drawing on theory from political science, economics, sociology, psychology, communications, education, and linguistics, the book examines the ways in which differing access to technology contributes to social and economic stratification or inclusion. The book takes a global perspective, presenting case studies from developed and developing countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, and the United States. A central premise is that, in today's society, the ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge using information and communication technologies is critical to social inclusion. This focus on social inclusion shifts the discussion of the "digital divide" from gaps to be overcome by providing equipment to social development challenges to be addressed through the effective integration of technology into communities, institutions, and societies. What is most important is not so much the physical availability of computers and the Internet but rather people's ability to make use of those technologies to engage in meaningful social practices.