Voting Technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean
The use of technologies is increasingly widespread in politics, and elections are no exception.
by Julio Ascarrunz, Professor at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (Bolivia) and
Research Collaborator at the Observatory of Political Reforms in Latin America
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their rapid development in recent decades have had a major impact on all spheres of human life. This has led to what many consider a new era for societies in general and social relations in particular. Digital era, digital revolution, or information society are some ways to describe today's world. Beyond the conceptual differences between these (and other) terms, they all refer to the use of technology in everyday life.
These technologies have also permeated the development of electoral processes. The elements to which new technologies can be applied within the framework of elections are numerous and can cover practically the entire electoral cycle. Their use can be present during the pre-electoral stage (in the registration of parties, candidates, and voters, or the monitoring of media and campaign spending), the electoral stage (in voting, vote counting, or computation), or the post-electoral stage (in the transmission and publication of results, or data tabulation) (IDEA International 2015).
One of the least widespread uses of technology in electoral processes is during the voting process itself. According to IDEA International data, currently, 80.34% (143 countries) worldwide do not use any type of electronic voting, and only 15.73% (28 countries) implement it in national elections, while the remaining 3.93% (7 countries) use it in subnational elections or other types of voting involving the electoral body (such as for unions or non-binding referendums).
Given this panorama, it's inevitable to ask: what is the state of electronic voting in Latin America and the Caribbean? This work identifies that in the region, this practice remains minority, although in a higher proportion than in the world. It argues that the practice has been gaining popularity, but with great variation between countries in its specificities.
Electronic Voting: Types and Characteristics
Electronic voting is defined as the use of technology and the consequent automation in the act of voting (Tuesta Soldevilla 2007), specifically referring to scenarios where vote casting and/or counting are carried out with some electronic mechanism (IDEA International 2011, Patrama and Salabi 2020). In general, electronic voting experiences can be summarized in four voting systems: 1) Direct Electronic Voting (DRE), where voting is done directly on machines enabled for this purpose; 2) Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), where votes are cast physically and then fed into machines that convert the image into data; 3) Electronic Ballot Printers (EBP) which combines the technologies of the first two systems to separate the processes of vote casting, through one machine, and vote counting, through another machine; and 4) Internet Voting Systems, where votes are transferred via internet to a vote counting server.
These four general types are crossed by six variables. The first variable is the environment in which the vote is cast, specifically whether it's controlled or uncontrolled – that is, whether citizens can vote remotely from wherever they are or must go to a specific polling station to vote. The second variable refers to the magnitude of electronic voting, whether it's implemented as the only channel for suffrage or as an alternative to traditional paper forms that may or may not be used. The third variable deals with the evidence or trail of electronic voting, meaning whether electronic suffrage creates some type of receipt or ballot. The fourth variable differentiates between open-source systems and those with closed code due to property rights (primarily). The fifth variable is related to a step prior to actual vote casting; it concerns voter identity recognition and verification. Finally, the last variable is whether the electronic voting system is developed within the country or purchased abroad from technology development companies.
Electronic Voting Experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean, 56.5% of countries do not use electronic voting in any type of election, while the remaining 43.5% do. However, in the cases of Mexico and Paraguay, voting technology is only used in subnational elections.
Source: Author’s elaboration based on data from International IDEA.
Although the trend of electronic voting in the region seems simple, there are several differences within these general categories. Among countries that use electronic voting, whether at national or subnational level, the Direct Electronic Voting (DRE) system stands out, being used in seven countries, but with differences regarding whether there is any physical trace of the vote (only in Brazil there is no type of trail). On the other hand, in Ecuador and El Salvador, internet voting is available (in the latter combined with DRE), in Argentina the Electronic Ballot Printer (EBP) system is applied, and in the Dominican Republic, the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) system is used.
Similarly to the specific technology of each case, the scope of electronic voting and the environment in which it takes place also have differences between countries. For example, in Brazil, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Paraguay (subnational), electronic voting is available to the entire electorate. In other countries, it's only enabled for certain portions, usually for residents abroad. As for the environment, in most countries it is controlled, with Panama, Mexico, and El Salvador being the only cases where some combination of controlled environments (generally for residents within the country) and uncontrolled environments (generally for voters abroad) is allowed.
Finally, it's worth noting that there are also differences among countries that currently don't use electronic voting. These differences relate to whether the possibility of its application has ever been considered. Thus, seven of the thirteen countries that don't use electronic voting in Latin America and the Caribbean have never even considered it. Meanwhile, in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, and Uruguay, applicability tests or studies are being developed or have been carried out.
The use of technologies is increasingly widespread in politics, and elections are no exception. During the voting act specifically, the adoption of technologies is not homogeneous, nor should it follow a single line, but can have significant technical differences within it. While systematic tracking of these reforms remains pending, it's already possible to recognize that the adoption of technologies in the voting process doesn't solve structural problems in each country, and that the context and ways in which these technologies are adopted are extremely important.
How to Cite:
Ascarrunz, Julio (24 de Octubre del 2024). Voting Technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Blog #LABdata, Observatorio de Reformas Políticas en América Latina. https://observatorioreformas.substack.com/p/7ebda749-fb97-4638-8e64-0f682c8680aa