When it comes to organizational elections in Africa, some best practices include transparency, structure, education, and leveraging technology.
Transparency is necessary for voters to trust the process, structure is needed for order, and education is helpful for increasing turnout. Whether it’s association voting or company members electing new leadership, technology like online voting can go a long way towards improving the process.
Democracy is the backbone of many organizations, and elections are the backbone of democracy. They help make sure that the direction and values of the organization reflect those of its members, ensuring that those members feel heard and their investment in the organization grows.
This is only true if elections are run efficiently, however. When elections are run poorly, they can lead to disengagement, distrust of the organization, and even active disputes about policy and leadership. For all these reasons, it’s important that organizational elections in Kenya and elsewhere are taken seriously.
Given the dangers of a poorly run election, it’s important to understand all the necessary factors involved in running a successful one.
Transparency is one of the fastest ways to get members of an organization to feel valued and included. It can give voters faith in the process when they understand how votes are counted, what the process is, and the timeline of various steps. Transparency is especially valuable when using an online voting platform, as voters are likely to be unfamiliar with the technology and making a digital process understandable can help build trust.
Elections can be hectic and complicated, and a clearly defined structure can be an antidote to those issues. When will the election take place, who will monitor it, what is the process for voters to register, and how will the results be announced are all questions that must be answered well in advance of the election.
Structure also includes actions taken after the election. Once the results are announced, how will they be archived? Furthermore, will there be a venue for voter feedback? Encouraging feedback after elections is a great way to build trust and investment from voters.
It also makes each election smoother, as adjustments are made that involve voters and shift the process to one they understand and respond to. Feedback is another kind of voting, allowing members of the organization to feel heard and respected, especially if they see their ideas implemented.
In order for elections to go smoothly and have the highest engagement possible, voters need to know about it. Part of this combines structure and transparency, informing members of exactly what the structure of the election will be so they can follow along at every step.
This education can also include relaying to members the importance and impact of their vote and the outcome of the specific election. Education is paramount if voting is being held online.
When running an organizational election, sometimes the most helpful route is to move the voting online. While it’s important to integrate such a change carefully, it can provide two primary benefits.
First, online voting is powerfully secure, featuring encryption that prevents election tampering. Second, online voting can increase voter turnout. When members don’t have to travel to participate in an election, they’re more likely to cast a vote.
Organizations planning elections in Africa can improve their process and outcome with attention to a handful of details. By making use of technology and valuing transparency, structure, and education, they can increase turnout and make each election more efficient than the last!
If you want to know more about the benefits of digital elections, don’t miss our post on online voting for associations in Asia.
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