Next Search Guiding Principles file info When using technology to facilitate the electoral process, several guiding principles can be identified. These guiding principles should be followed to establish and maintain public confidence in the electoral process. Technology is not an end in itself. When technology is used for electoral purposes, regard must be had for the electoral context in which the technology is used.
Electoral processes involve more than just the technology being used.
They include the relevant laws and guidelines, the social and political context, the organisational culture and the training and procedures developed to complement the technology. These factors need to be taken into account when new technology is adopted. Technology should not be adopted for its own sake. There needs to be a clear need for introducing new or updated technology. With manual processes, transparency is relatively straightforward, as the processes are usually visible and it is not difficult to provide meaningful access to external observers.