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Digital Elections
In 1994, South Africa celebrated its first truly democratic elections, so we didn't really mind standing in queues all day: as one old black man said - "I've been waiting forty years to vote, so what's a day in a queue?" But this time round, technology is - hopefully - going to make those queues a thing of the past.
Pat Pillai, "In Touch Presenter", investigates further. He talks to Norman du Plessis, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer: Electoral Administration, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), about their decision to go the digital/satellite route for the next elections. "The IEC has decided to use electronic means, digital mostly, in respect of number of elements in our electoral process, for a number of reasons," says Norman. "It is simply just cheaper to deal with information gathered electronically than it is to do it manually. The second issue that hangs with that is the question of accuracy. Because we are working from identity numbers and we have access to the population register, all the names of the people on the voter's roll would be a hundred percent accurately reflected as opposed to actual manual input. The question of access to rural areas is particularly important here.
Digital technology, coupled with a satellite transmission system, will make it possible the IEC to receive and process data from the remotest parts of South Africa, instantly. Unlike terrestrial data transmission which flows through copper wires buried underground, satellite technology doesn't require tons of hardware. The bulk of it is literally as light as air! This gives it several advantages over land-based solutions. Says Sean Victor, Product Manager: SpaceStream, Telkom S.A.: "The inherent advantages of using satellite technology are the ability to rapidly deploy a number of sites, even in rural locations."
It sounds ambitious, but in fact the technology is already in place. "Telkom has deployed 493 sites, that is 493 VSAT terminals to different electoral commissioned voting stations," explains Sean.
"The advantage of monitoring polling stations out in the field from a central site, lies in knowing the state of affairs," says Norman du Plessis, IEC. "It was a horrendous experience in 1994 to actually to have to read in the newspapers and to hear over the radio what was functioning and what was not functioning. Then we just didn't have the time to deploy a communications network. The point being that one can support your staff where there are logistical problems, where you have a problem of whatever kind so you are in a position to offer the electoral staff the service they are entitled to." Electronic counting also means a reduction in human error and greater speed in publishing the results. "We will be able to feed the media with information within 2 - 3 hours within closing the pole," states Norman. "There should be a pattern on the table and we will present that in a geographic information system so that one can regionalise it; per voting district, per municipality, per province as to what the trends were, what the support levels were of the particular parties in different areas. I think that is the making for compelling television and press coverage." Remember the cloud of controversy that that descended after the last election? Allegations of vote-fixing and electoral-fraud were rife. And our new-found political freedom almost went up in smoke!
"So what will happen to all this high-tech hardware after the election? Will SpaceStream continue to provide a service to the government and the IEC, or will it dry up?", asks Pat? "The IEC will continue to use the technology for future elections," answers Sean. "It is also flexible in terms of being able to move VSAT terminals around to different locations, as well as the fact that other applications can be added either now or at a later stage." With the help of technology, democracy's brain just got a little larger. Our choices haven't gotten any easier, but at least we have the tools to make them count.
CONTACTS:
Sean Robert Victor |
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Democracy has been compared to a prehistoric monster with a long body and a brain the size of a pin. Anyone who stood in queues at the last election knows that the democratic process is sometimes a cumbersome one. But there is new technology afoot which makes previous methods of voting look a little primitive. If the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has its way, the next elections will be free-er, fairer, and faster, using a combination of digital and satellite technology.
There is obviously a lack of infrastructure but if you use satellite technology, you actually bring the service to the disadvantaged areas to the same extent."
The actual transmission system, referred to as "SpaceStream", has been developed by Telkom. "SpaceStream utilises the latest VSAT technology to provide customers with a business solution, both meeting their business needs as in IEC's case, in providing a wide area network (WAN) solution," says Sean. The inherent capabilities of a satellite network, allow for greater flexibility, reliability, availability and rapid deployment of sites."
Not only will SpaceStream simplify voter registration, it will also streamline the counting process. Votes will be counted electronically. Results from individual polling stations will then be transmitted via satellite to the control centre.
Says Sean: "Electoral fraud can be prevented on two levels in terms of utilising satellite solution. One, the IEC will have an on-line real-time system to manage voting information. In addition to that, hackers will not be able to hack into a line as typically in the terrestrial type solution."