In March, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) hosted a three-day Electronic Voting Conference, bringing together experts to discuss the feasibility of electronic voting. This coincided with the IEC releasing its policy discussion paper, Exploring the Implementation of Electronic Voting in South Africa 2025, which outlined the legal, technical, and policy considerations around e-voting.
A full transition to electronic voting by the 2026 local government is unlikely, as legal reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and public buy-in will take time. Still, the conference made one thing clear: South Africa needs to begin modernising its electoral system; and a hybrid voting system is the most realistic way forward.
The Limits of Paper Voting
For 30 years, South Africa has relied on pen-and-paper ballots. The system is familiar, widely accepted, and has earned trust from voters and political parties alike. But it is not without flaws. Paper ballots are vulnerable to human error, counting delays, ballot mishandling, and fraud.
In the 2024 elections, several technical and administrative problems exposed the strain on the current system. Widespread failures of Voter Management Devices (VMDs), largely due to poor network connectivity, caused major delays in cities like Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. IEC officials had to revert to manual voter rolls, leading to long queues and some voters casting ballots well past midnight.
Administrative errors added to the frustration. Voters were turned away due to incorrect registrations or not appearing on the roll. Inconsistent procedures, such as different ballot box setups across stations and confusion over a third ballot paper, created further inefficiencies.
One ballot box even went missing after counting in uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal. Though the IEC claimed the votes had been tallied, the incident raised concerns about ballot security. Tensions escalated when the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) challenged the results and issued veiled threats, heightening fears of unrest especially in KwaZulu-Natal – a province already prone to political violence.
These issues highlight the need for stronger training, clearer protocols, and better systems – both digital and analogue.
Why E-Voting Makes Sense
Electronic voting could streamline elections by speeding up counting, reducing fraud, and improving accessibility, especially for voters in remote areas or those with limited mobility. If implemented securely, it could also become cost-effective over time, as initial setup costs give way to lower operational expenses.
Importantly, e-voting could help increase turnout among younger, tech-savvy voters. Giving people the option to vote electronically, whether from polling stations or potentially from home, could address declining political engagement in a digital age.
But e-voting also brings risks. Cybersecurity threats, software bugs, hardware failures, and reliance on electricity and stable connectivity pose serious challenges. Human error in managing digital systems remains a concern. And public trust, especially among older, less digitally literate voters, is fragile.
Why a Hybrid System Is the Best Fit
Rather than choosing between paper or digital, South Africa should implement a hybrid voting system — one that lets voters decide how they want to cast their ballots.
There are two ways to do this:
- Offer both paper and e-voting options at each polling station.
- Allow voters to select their preferred method during registration so that stations can prepare accordingly.
Either way, no station would be exclusively paper-based or fully electronic unless all registered voters there choose the same method. This respects voter preferences while enabling a gradual transition.
The IEC would need to pick a single, standardised form of e-voting for the pilot phase to simplify training and public education. Electoral staff must be thoroughly trained in operating the technology and troubleshooting voter concerns on election day.
Learning From Other Countries
India offers a useful case study. It piloted electronic voting in 1982 and has used e-voting machines nationwide since 2002 — in one of the world’s largest and most complex democracies. Brazil, which did not pilot but gradually adopted e-voting, has achieved fast and efficient vote counts, with its 2022 run-off results declared within 12 hours.
But cautionary tales exist. Germany abandoned e-voting after a court ruled that digital voting systems must allow public verification without requiring expert knowledge. The DRC and the Netherlands also reversed course due to transparency and cybersecurity concerns.
South Africa must avoid similar pitfalls. Cybersecurity should be handled in-house by the IEC to build expertise and public confidence. Outsourcing key digital functions to private firms could spark distrust or even allegations of rigging.
Cybersecurity and Public Trust
Cybersecurity is a serious weak spot in South Africa’s broader digital infrastructure. The 2021 Transnet ransomware attack and the 2025 Bybit cryptocurrency theft (valued at $1.5 billion) showed how vulnerable national systems remain. Government adoption of digital tools has been slow, and cybercrimes are not even categorised in SAPS reports, making them hard to track or address.
If e-voting is to work, the IEC must lead a nationwide public education campaign, emphasise transparency, and invest in robust cyber defences. The perception of legitimacy will matter as much as the technical systems themselves.
Public trust, especially in elections, is hard-earned and easily lost. South Africans are used to the transparency of paper ballots, where physical recounts resolve disputes. For older voters especially, this familiarity breeds confidence. A hybrid system gives voters time to adapt and builds trust gradually.
Conclusion
A hybrid voting system is South Africa’s best path forward. It balances modernisation with accessibility, lowers risks, and allows for a smoother transition. By offering choice, we can preserve trust while improving efficiency. If implemented carefully, e-voting can coexist with traditional methods; and help reinvigorate South Africa’s democracy.