ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM: A CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE FOR TRADITIONAL PAPER-BASED VOTING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study is basically to examine electronic-voting in Nigeria elections as an improvement on the traditional paper voting with a focus on the credibility of 2019 Elections in Nigeria. Worried by the frequent and debilitating incidences of electoral fraud and disenfranchisement of voters for unsubstantiated reasons. Martin Hagen theory of e-democracy was adopted as theoretical framework. Hagen construes e-democracy as a strategic tool to strengthen democratic practices using the information and computer technology (ICT). Findings are that e-voting will reduce incidences of election fraud especially in the areas of voting and counting of votes, and also the physically challenged qualified voters and citizens living and working abroad will have opportunity to cast their votes. The study will conclude that Nigeria must take advantage on flourishing (ICT) to fight endemic electoral irregularities in Nigeria through firm belief in and avowed adoption of e-voting. The study will make useful recommendations as we conclude the paper.