Reinstating e-voting as a socio-technical system: A critical review of the current development in developing countries

Abstract

E-voting failures to increase public confidence in elections, improve political participation and deliver public services have often been overlooked for the sake of bureaucratic convenience. There is also a growing belief among developing countries that technology is the only solution for credible elections. This present study critically reviews the current state of research on e-voting in developing countries through a systematic examination of sixty seven academic papers. The findings reveal a lack of research continuity and that there is evidence of leapfrogging in the current studies where socio-technical system design processes have preceded strategic design inquiries. This paper then propounds the use of Socio-Technical Systems theory to perceive the technology and proposes courses for future research on e-voting in developing countries.