In a previous post, some reasons for a growing deployment of election technology services in Latin America were mentioned.
However, let us explain in more detail how the millennials’ factor and the need to improve public trust have also lead the region to adopt better and newer technologies.
At present, millenials can have a significant voice over the electoral outcomes in Latam. Not only for the total of population they represent, but also for the cultural transformation they are leading as citizens, professionals and, of course, as voters.
In Mexico, for example, a study published last October “sheds light on what millennials are looking for in a candidate and the issues that concern them most. The poll found that for this generation, when it comes to being able to apply political pressure, social media is a more powerful tool than voting,” wrote Carin Zissis in an AS/COA Online article.
Millennials might take for granted basic liberties and freedoms, according to the author, but they surely know that technology is part of their democratic DNA. Therefore, they recognize tech advancements as part of the equation when solving electoral process.
Many elements come together when analysing millennials as voters, but one of them, it is their need for immediacy. Citizens, particularly younger ones, are more and more accustomed to speed and immediate feedback. And for some, the extrapolation to the election area comes natural.
Speed is therefore another reason for automated election processes. For Rachel DeLevie-Orey, from the Atlantic Council, “there is clearly a movement towards electronic voting systems, and if done correctly, both security and costs could become pros. Greater speed is crucial to the trust of the electorate. Speed is important for the perceived legitimacy of the election, and the perceived legitimacy is in many ways paramount.”