Bulks SMS: A Solution to Voting in South Africa

Using Bulk SMS as a voting mechanism could change the way democracy moves forward. It could also save money…

While South Africa is proud of its democracy and most South Africans take great pride in the act of voting, many must wonder why in the 21^st century we continue to use a pen and paper and dip our fingers in ink to indicate that the act of voting is complete. What about bulk SMS?

With the ubiquity of cell phones, even in a country that experiences degrees of poverty in many areas, surely a modern tool, capable of receiving messages sent through bulk SMS, presents itself to address this outdated process?

With the abundance of affordable bulk SMS Gateways that facilitate convenient SMS messaging to the masses - and crucially, provide the means for those SMS to reply upon – perhaps a rethink of our voting method is due.

We all know that visiting a voting booth on Election Day requires only an ID document (with a picture that needs to bare a passable likeness to the bearer) and your name on the voter’s roll. What if your cell phone number could uniquely identify you on the voter’s roll, and a password or passphrase was your identifying image? And that could be achieved through bulk SMS.

Not only does bulk SMS provide an opportunity to spare the tax payer the costs involved, but also the ability to judge the progress and result of an election more efficiently. This can allow voters to exercise their democratic rights from the comfort and safety of their own homes, and for the entire process to be completed in a fraction of the time usually associated with voting.

For example, consider the act of registering for an election with your cell phone, being none too different to a normal paper-based registration, except for a cell phone number to be submitted during the registration process by the voter in question. This includes a password that the voter selects that never appears on any documentation again.

On voting day, or even starting a day or two before, bulk SMS messages are sent to the voters’ phones requesting that they reply with their password and a number indicating which candidate they wish to select. Surely no more insecure or prone to fraud that current voting methods?

A complete electronic audit of the interaction is retained, under strict guidelines to ensure the continued integrity of the voter’s anonymity. Those either not owning a cell phone of their own or choosing not to embrace this new electronic method will of course be accommodated in the traditional Election Day style.

Curious how SMS can benefit you with regards to knowing what your customers think? Read more on our Bulk SMS page…

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