Voters Still Prefer Paper Ballots Says Ex Deputy Ec Chairman

---

 Wan Ahmad Wan Omar says the public will need more convincing when it comes to e-voting.
Former EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said elections are a sensitive matter, even for a ‘small democracy’ like Malaysia.PETALING JAYA: Voters generally prefer paper ballots over digital ones, a former Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman says following calls for the adoption of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) at polls
Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said more would be needed to convince the public to switch to e-voting.
“If there is no confidence in the integrity and transparency (of digital voting), the election results will always be contested. Integrity and transparency are crucial issues,” he told FMT.
On Saturday, tech group Malaysia Internet-of-Things Association called on the government to consider using AI and other modern digital systems to help the EC conduct polling more efficiently, transparently and cost-effectively.
Its treasurer Pathmanathan Muniandy said AI, big data analytics, smart logistics systems, and electronic voting machines could transform the electoral process.
Wan Ahmad acknowledged the benefits of adopting technology in voting but said that elections were a sensitive matter, even for a “small democracy” like Malaysia.
“The system used to determine the winning party must be one that is accepted and trusted by the two main stakeholders in elections – the political outfits and the voters.”
Wan Ahmad, who served as deputy EC chairman from 2004 and 2013, also said the commission had mooted the introduction of e-voting before, but that it was rejected by the main political parties.
“But if the government and the stakeholders agree to e-voting for future elections, it should be rolled out, as a pilot project, during a by-election.
“This way, we can gauge its effectiveness,” he said.
He added that this would require a significant budget and the amendment of laws.
In 2015, then EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof dismissed the idea of e-voting, saying the current system was a tried and tested method, and that there was no proof that e-voting could not be manipulated. - FMT

---