Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 23 Issue 2

e-voting in Estonia started as a voting tool for the resourceful and privileged, with those aged 50–60 most likely to use this tool, and later diversified to other groups. Yet, they found no evidence that even after several online elections, it has made the electoral process more interesting for the youth and other out- groups. Even more directly, Petitpas et al. (2021) found out that the introduction of e-voting in Switzerland led to an increase in voting of the older rather than the younger cohorts. Concerning the group of occasional voters, the researchers noted that e-voting increases rather than decreasing the gender gap in voting. In 2020, the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa stated its intention to introduce e-voting to lower the costs of voting, improve electoral transparency and efficiency, and to improve overall voter participation. There is, however, little research to explain the factors that could potentially influence voters, particularly young people (18-35 years) who are a growing voting demography with a declining interest in electoral participation. As one of the most important formal avenues for political participation, voting has always been affected by voter turnout, as young voters tend to participate less in polls compared to older citizens (Ellis, 2007). Yet, in new democracies alone, the young generation is booming, with one-third of the population aged between 15 and 35. The sheer statistics on the total number of youths compared to the adult population on the continent befits their political and electoral inclusion. Afrobarometer (2019) survey in 36 African countries noted that 78% of the youth believe in the civic responsibility of voting. However, on Elections Day, this number decreases to 65%, who cast their ballots. The Youth tend to be disengaged from the democratic process and vote less frequently, stand as candidates less often and remain underrepresented in electoral managerial functions. Despite the continental and regional architecture for the promotion of youth participation, evidence shows that governments have not readily facilitated a meaningful inclusion of the youth in decision-making processes. In many countries, people have expressed deep concern, not only about the overall low level of participation, but especially among the youth. Over the years, the private sector has proven that the use of ICT has the power to transform and deliver value (Achieng & Ruhode, 2013; Verkijika & De Wet, 2018; Mail & Guardian, 2019). The question, however, is, can e-voting induce the Kenyan youth to participate in electing their political leaders? In Kenya, the 2010 Constitution defines youth as any individual between 18 and 35 years of age. These youth constitute more than a third of the entire population, while nearly 80% of Kenyans are less than 35 years old 1 In Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (henceforth IEBC) reported that the number of registered young voters has dropped by five percent since the 2017 poll, in contrast to over-35s, whose tally has increased. Over 22 million Kenyans were eligible to take part in this year's polls, with young people accounting for less than 40% of that number. Low youth participation in the electoral process, . Young people in Kenya’s political landscape repr es ent the largest demographic unit and political constituency. More significantly, effective participation of the youth in politics is critical to democratic developments, both in Kenya and globally. Youth participation in political and electoral processes is a fundamental right to citizenship (Hart 1992). Juxtaposed against the youth who choose not to participate politically based on their needs not being met, are the youth recruited by political leaders, who participate through violent means. Electoral management bodies (henceforth EMBs) play a critical role when it comes to engaging the youth in electoral processes. Traditionally, EMBs have aimed to increase turnout rates among the youth through targeted campaigns young people to register and vote. In recent years, these approaches have included the use of the internet and social media. However, there is a need for EMBs to develop more sophisticated approaches and consider alternative methods that will produce higher involvement among youth (IDEA, 2015). In Africa, evidence suggests that the increased competitiveness of elections has not necessarily led to an increase in citizen participation in electoral processes, but instead, cases of shrinking democratic space for citizen participation, infringement of fundamental freedoms and rights, and declining voter turnout continue to bedevil most African countries. More worrying is a glaring void of youth participation in political and electoral processes, yet the youth make up an estimated 430 million of Africa’s population. The ability to vote online has the potential to increase voter turnout for elections, due to increased convenience over traditional voting polls. Elections are a process composed of three intertwined cyclical phases (pre-election, election, and post-election) and subcomponents. Different actors, including the youth ought to participate in shaping the different election cycle components. The over-focus of the youth on Election Day activity has made them lose out on significant processes, before and after elections that actually define the outcome of elections. To add value to the electoral process, the youth need to understand and familiarize themselves with the election cycle to enable effective participation. 1 Constitution of Kenya 2010 © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue II Version I 62 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 C Can e-voting Improve Youth Voter Turnout?: Experiences from the Kenya 2022 General Elections especially during the Biometric Voter Registration (henceforth BVR) phase, which was introduced for the first time during the run-up to the 2018 elections was recorded. The BVR was the country’s first systematic