Schools visit Ullovu Secondary to debate voting system ideas
Fresh new ideas for the ageing electoral system were the order of the day for high schools in the greater Amanzimtoti area.
WHAT are the hurdles of the current electoral system? Learners from Sidelile, Umkhumbi and host school Ullovu Secondary School participated in the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Schools Democracy Programme to debate just that on April 29.
Also read: Local Government Elections date announced
The symposium competition is IEC’s way of looking for fresh ideas from the youth in a fun way. Each school team was given 20 minutes to put forth their ideas. They were judged on how well they have done their research, their creativity and how mind-blowing their ideas could be in reshaping the electoral system.
Sidelile Secondary School put forth an idea for a week-long process which employs the use of an inclusive, accessible application on tablets, much like those used by the South African National Blood Service for their questionnaires. Their debate format was split into three acts and dramatised to illustrate their ideas. Furthermore, they posed the idea of disabled stations for voting orally, and home visits for citizens unable to make it to stations due to health complications, distance and lack of money or disabilities.
Also read: Ward elections held in Amanzimtoti
On the other end of the spectrum, Umkhumbi Secondary School argued that the current system works, though has one important limitation their idea endeavours to address, security. The learners explained, through an acted-out podcast, that voter turnout can be bolstered if voters are more trusting of the security of their vote. They suggested biometric scans to confirm votes.
Ullovu Secondary’s learners put together a YouTube video dramatisation which presented their ideas as a new development in IEC voting, online voting, which the learners argued would revolutionise the current system in an increasingly digital landscape, and be far more accessible for voters, thereby increasing voter turnout.
Ultimately, the Sidelile learners came out on top thanks to their well-researched, creative ideas and the way they presented their proposed system.
For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
