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

their role as citizens, the problem of apathy and abstention and its implications ought to be recognized and addressed for the future of democracy. Think tanks, policy experts, researchers, civic organizations, and media also need to be involved intensively. This is in line with IDEA (1999), which emphasizes that whatever the motives of the various stakeholders, by reaching out and involving young people, they are collectively working towards the challenge of ensuring a vibrant democracy in the country. b. Transparency and Trust Digital technology has expanded the opportunities for e-voting and allowed political dissidents and other actors to connect virtually. One of the objectives of youth involvement in e-voting is transparency as it reduces misconduct and improves public trust. For the youth to trust e-voting, the electoral bodies must be transparent in how the system works and educate them about the system (Avgerou, Masiero & Poulymenakou, 2019). This, however, poses the question, can this be achieved in a country like Kenya? Can the electoral body improve the credibility of the system and assure people about the security of the votes? (Wirtz, Daiser & Binkowska, 2016). When achieved, this will boost the youth’s confidence in voting. According to Sciarini et al. (2013) and Mendez and Serdult (2017), the potential positive effects of e- voting on turnout can be hampered by citizens’ security concerns. Fears of vote manipulation and fraud may discourage voters from using e-voting. Thus, concerns about the integrity of elections might even decrease the turnout. The use of e-voting requires knowledge and skills in ICT, and it is important to ensure that most of the potential users can use e-voting without problems. Prototype apps can also be used to allow users to play with the system and gain skills in the e-voting system (Bisong, 2019). As observed in some countries, such as the United States and which can be borrowed by Kenya, emphasis is on logistic difficulties and consequent efforts are usually placed on countering low and declining turnout by simplifying registration and voting. By making it easier, these measures can tip the scales in favour of voting. During our interviews with one IEBC official, he narrated that: “If citizens will not come to the polls…why not bring the polls closer to the citizens…that is through e-voting.” This is confirmed by Nooris (2004, who avers that introducing e-voting will greatly simplify the voting act and may eventually foster participation by mobilizing new voters. b) Dilemma with Future of Electronic Voting among the youth in Kenya Although young people constitute a large segment of the electorate in Kenya, and would thus seem to provide ample potential recruits, advocates face unique challenges in organizing them politically in significant numbers, and in channeling their involvement into a lasting commitment to the group. While electronic voting in developing countries has promoted healthy and democratic elections in many instances, it is not without its problems. Technology, especially the type being sent to developing countries, has an easy tendency to glitch and lend itself to user errors for those unfamiliar with the technology. Furthermore, many countries have used e- voting to combat top-down corruption, though such forms of technology still remain under the jurisdiction of the government. Therefore, it carries the potential to be used in rigging, thereby producing more fraudulent and difficult-to-trace results. Some scholars have argued that e-voting may reduce inequalities by increasing the turnout among groups that participate less, such as young voters (Krueger 2002; Serdült et al., 2015). Whereas, others disagree and fear that e-voting will reinforce the inequality of turnout by favoring those who already vote more, such as the well-educated and wealthier citizens (Berinsky 2005; Gerlach & Gasser 2009; Norris 2001). E-voting also makes recounting virtually impossible, due to the lack of a paper trail. However, many developing countries have nonetheless used this technology to their advantage. They are in the process of making e-voting a dependable reality. Namibia, Ghana and Kazakhstan are in the early stages of using e-voting and hope to run their elections solely by means of elections e-voting. With the aid of continuing technological advancements, e-voting can hopefully plant a successful footing in developing countries. To achieve greater effectiveness in reaching out to young citizens in e-voting, it is essential to build strategic alliances and seek support from other interested parties. These could include private sector organizations, such as business enterprises that see young voters as future clients or customers, and other industries that cater for the youth. In this respect, the youth are likely to make good partners, because their involvement will definitely allow them to participate in developing their country, while at the same time pursuing their own interests. Our major argument is that e-voting will decrease barriers to civic engagements, and reduce inequalities in participation by attracting groups that participate less, such as the youth. However, other scholars are quite pessimistic about this idea, and argue that e-voting cannot change the motivational basis for political activism, and that it (e-voting) will have the opposite effect, i.e., that it will reinforce the social stratification of the vote (Berinsky 2005, and Goodman, 2014). Similarly, it is arguable that e-voting can a digital divide, considering that it will favor those citizens that are familiar with the internet, and who usually vote, thereby leaving behind the less educated, the elderly, © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue II Version I 67 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 C Can e-voting Improve Youth Voter Turnout?: Experiences from the Kenya 2022 General Elections