Political Parties and Internet Voting System Adoption in Ghana

Abstract

The role of political parties in elections and factors that influence political parties’ internet voting system adoption has hardly been explored. One of the key barriers to internet voting system adoption is the lack of trust in the technology and election management authority by political parties. The lack of trust has led to the rejection of electronic voting systems adoption by various political parties in different African countries. The main aim of this study is to examine the role political parties play in the electoral process and the factors that can influence political parties’ adoption of i-voting system. Using qualitative research design data were collected from political parties’ executives in the form of interviews. Themes that emerged from the analysis include “Increase Voter Turnout”, “Integrity of Voting Results”, “Trust in EC”, “Trust in Technology”, “Perceive Advantages”, and “Technological Illiteracy”. The implication of the research findings was also discussed in the study as well as the limitation of the research and future studies.