HEATHER THUYNSMA | Voters' actions during polls ultimately determine the destiny of their nation

• Published date: 26 April 2024
• Author: Heather Thuynsma
• Publication title: SowetanLIVE (Johannesburg, South Africa)

The socalled "year of elections" will see some 330million people in 70 countries cast their votes with SA's more than 60million citizens among them

Successful democracies are built on elections that are free, inclusive and transparent and despite the somewhat gloomy headlines, democracies – especially those across the African continent – have had some remarkable successes. Take the voting system used in Gambia as an example.

With speculation swirling around the integrity of the elections, this country's unique voting system stands out. Instead of using paper ballots, Gambians vote by placing marbles into drums that represent each candidate and they know their vote has been counted when they hear a loud ring. The system's simplicity makes it easy for illiterate and firsttime voters to understand, but the technology is also tamper proof – besides the chime, marbles are also counted in large trays with small hollows making the process faster and more accurate.

Then there is the surprising success of Senegal's new president Bassirou Diomaye Faye, previously an opposition leader who was released from prison 10 days before the election.

His emphatic firstround majority of 54% could have triggered a round of rigging and voter fraud allegations. But to their credit, both outgoing president Macky Sall and his preferred successor, Amadou Ba, conceded defeat and ushered in a peaceful transition of power.

Further to the East, Indonesia is the world's largest direct presidential election with 193million voters located on 17,508 islands all voting on one day. The February 14 2024 poll is easily the most complicated election to manage with 810,000 polling stations staffed by some sixmillion election workers.

The election will see presidential, parliamentary and local legislative representatives elected – some 20,000 seats – and voters will have a choice of 245,000 candidates. Interestingly, in Indonesia the word for voting, "coblos", literally means "to punch" and voters use a nail to punch a hole in their ballot paper.

To counter allegations of fraud, these ballots are counted in public with officials holding each one up to see the light shine through the hole. Acknowledging the country's history of military rule, another measure adopted to preserve electoral integrity was to ban all members of...