Artificial Intelligence Will Challenge The Way Government Voting Works

Artificial intelligence will challenge the way we vote in government elections. It would do much more than that in an ideal world. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the use of computers to do things that traditionally require human intelligence. This technology has the potential to transform how governments operate in government election processes.

Government Elections

Current government election systems vary from country to country. Most countries opt for a form of representative democracy. This process involves citizens of that particular state voting and electing representatives to enforce laws on everyone's behalf.

In this system, government officials are elected through voting systems such as proportional representation and first-past-the-post. Executive positions such as the President or Prime Minister election are held separately.

Voters directly elect the candidate that fills these significant positions. In developed countries, the system works fairly well, although the 2020 election for US president saw Donald trump make claims of voter fraud. These claims were quickly dismissed.

Controversial Government Elections

However, the current state of elections in developing and 3rd world countries leaves little to admire. Where better to start than with the late former Zimbabwean President? Mr. Robert Mugabe. Mugabe reigned for 30 years. His reign was plagued with accusations of rigging elections and suppressing political opposition.

The most controversial was the Zimbabwe 2002 presidential election. Mugabe-led Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) was accused of widespread vote rigging, voter intimidation, and violence against opposition supporters.

What other countries have had controversial government elections?

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey: Erdogan has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing political opposition in Turkey in the 2017 constitutional referendum.
• Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela: Maduro has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing political opposition in Venezuela in the 2018 presidential election.
• Bashar al-Assad, Syria: Assad has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing political opposition in Syria's 2014 presidential election.
• Vladimir Putin, Russia: Putin has been accused of rigging elections and suppressing political opposition in Russia during the 2011 Russian legislative election.

And the list goes on and on.

Government Voting Processes- Currently

Not many, if any, are using Artificial Intelligence in their electoral processes. And it shows. In a general overview of how the voting system works in many democratic countries, voters will begin the process by registering with local electoral authorities.

This registration will consist of questions on the voters' personal information, such as the individual's name, address, birth, and vote eligibility.

Polling

On the day of the election, voters go to their designated polling stations to post their vote, generally via paper. Each voter is asked for ID before voting, for example, their Drivers license or passport. Stations are typically located in schools, community centers, and other public venues.

Vote Counting Currently

After polling stations close, human election officials begin counting the votes, mostly manually but in parts of certain countries electronically, by tallying the results from voting machines. In attendance are independent observers who ensure the vote-counting process is fair and accurate.

Once the vote count is complete, the electoral authorities certify the results and announce the winners. Results are then made available to the public. Despite its relative success in developed countries within this manual vote-counting process, we can't ignore the room for human error.

It would be challenging to verify that individuals are all using valid IDs with the current state of the black market, especially in undeveloped countries with less efficient legal infrastructure. Or be sure that officials counted millions and millions of votes without making a single error, missing out voting slips, or counting the votes of people no longer alive.

AI Will Challenge The Way We Vote

Something needs to change to ensure the voting process is fairer and more efficient. Even if we look away from the alleged atrocities of leaders in developing nations, and focus on the debunked accusations of voter fraud by Donald Trump.

The governing bodies of our countries have much to gain from artificial intelligence. AI can challenge the current voter registration process by using machine learning algorithms that analyze vast data to identify patterns and outliers. Some examples include:

• Identity Verification: AI can compare the voter's personal information, such as name and address, with various databases to verify their identity,
• Data Analysis: Data can be analyzed to identify patterns and trends that indicate fraudulent behavior.
• Eligibility Verification: AI can evaluate voter eligibility, such as age or citizenship, and automatically identify voters who meet the correct criteria.
• Image Recognition: Can check the authenticity of identification documents, such as passports or driver's licenses, by analyzing images and comparing them to various databases in real time.

AI-powered voter registration processes would work in cohesion and cement integrity in governments worldwide.

Vote Counting With AI

Vote counting would be another process that could benefit from the intervention of artificial technology. AI would provide vote counting with speed and accuracy. Vote counting will be completed more quickly and efficiently, as AI can process large amounts of data much faster than humans, simultaneously identifying patterns and anomalies in the voting data.

Imagine a world where votes could be collected and counted within minutes of being collected nationwide. Counting votes area by area can take a couple of days to weeks, particularly in countries like the US which has 50 states.

Conclusion

It is only logical that someday, artificial intelligence technology will challenge the way government elections work. Despite government elections not being terrible, the system in many countries contains noticeable flaws. AI demonstrates a capacity to automate the government voting process.

However, there are concerns about the potential risks and challenges associated with AI in voting, such as privacy issues, algorithmic bias, and the need for transparency and accountability. Hopefully, as both sectors advance, collaborations can be made that better improve the voting system.