As the digital age continues to reshape electoral processes, experts are calling for the involvement of independent Information and Communications Technology (ICT) auditors to assess Election Management Systems (EMS) before, during, and after elections.
This, they argue, is crucial to safeguarding electoral integrity, enhancing public trust, and mitigating digital manipulation or system failures.
An Election Management System is a suite of software and hardware tools used to register voters, manage polling data, tabulate results, and transmit outcomes.
With many African countries, including Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia, increasingly relying on EMS, concerns have risen about the system’s transparency, security, and accountability.
Why Independent ICT Audits Matter
According to ICT policy expert Catherine Nyoni, allowing independent ICT auditors to assess EMS can help identify technical weaknesses, potential cybersecurity threats, and software irregularities.
“An independent audit ensures that the system has not been compromised and that it meets the standards of fairness, accuracy, and integrity,” Nyoni said in an interview with Malawi24. “It’s not just a technical check; it is a democratic safeguard.”
Such audits also verify whether the EMS software aligns with legal frameworks and international standards, reducing suspicions of electoral fraud or data manipulation.
Preventing Electoral Disputes
Political analyst and legal expert Griffin Maruwasa believes that many post-election disputes in Africa stem from a lack of transparency in how results are managed and transmitted.
“If all stakeholders, including opposition parties and civil society, are involved in or have access to audit findings, there is less room for mistrust,” he said. “Independent audits demystify the system.”
In previous elections across the region, including Kenya (2017) and Malawi (2019), courts had to intervene due to contested results, partly linked to EMS credibility. Both cases underscored the need for technical verification of electoral tools.
International Best Practices
International observers, such as the European Union Election Observation Missions (EU-EOM), have consistently recommended independent ICT audits as a best practice. In their reports, they emphasize that external experts unaffiliated with the election commission or software vendors should conduct audits at three key stages: pre-election (system setup), during elections (system performance), and post-election (results and data integrity).
Way Forward
In Malawi, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), through its Chairperson Anabel Mtalimanja, has refused to grant access to independent auditors, claiming that the security of the Sismatic Machine could be compromised.
As Southern and Eastern African nations gear up for their upcoming general elections in 2025 and 2026, experts and citizens alike hope that allowing independent ICT auditors to inspect Election Management Systems will become the norm, not the exception, in protecting democracy.
