Understanding the Role of Technology in Free and Fair Elections in Developing Countries.

Abstract

Abstract. Over the years accreditation of voters has been done using the manual method of painstakingly browsing through the voluminous voters register to verify if the voter is allowed to vote or not. Also the smart card reader has checkmated the problems of election rigging and multiple voting. On the other hand due to the aggressive voter’s education campaign by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), party stalwarts and agents who descend on polling units on election days to woo the electorate by offering them gift items and cash if they cast their votes in favor of a political party failed. However this paper will attempt to demonstrate how the introduction of the smart card readers by INEC reduced election rigging and inflated results as compared to previous elections. The research subscribed to the use of primary data to gather first-hand information from its respondents. This paper concluded that the smart card readers introduced by INEC have indeed tackled the menace of over inflated votes and also the voters education by INEC on not to accept gift and monies from political parties at the poling units has furtherenlightened the electorate on the rules at the polling units. However, we recommend that there should be an improvement on the smart card readers so that a voter can be accredited and vote at any part of the country. Also INEC should link up with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) so as to make the National Identity Card become the voter’s card. Keywords. Smart Card Reader, INEC, Electorate, Nigeria, Election. JEL. D72, N70, Q16