There and Back Again – The Story of Pakistan’s Brief Experiment with Electronic Voting
In 2021 Pakistan tried introducing electronic voting machines. In 2022 that decision was reversed. What went wrong and what can we learn?
Read more
Participation Is Not a Panacea for Democratic Decline
On the dangers of letting a positive surge in citizen participation dull the pain of a struggling representative system.
Read more
Voting From Abroad – Partial Digitalisation in 5 Upcoming Elections
Overseas voting would seem to be an obvious use case for digital democracy. Yet for citizens living abroad voting can be an odd mix of old and new.
Read more
Building Consensus on Complex Issues
John Richardson is an Ashoka fellow, a lawyer, a mathematician and the founder of Ethelo, an online platform designed to help groups reach consensus. We spoke about the nature of consensus building, the value of often unexplored options and the possibility of a shared protocol, bringing together different democratic tools.
Read more
Online and Electronic Voting Updates Across the Globe
Electronic and internet voting are making slow progress around the world, but there are no shortage of challenges. Even in established democracies, trust is hard won, and implementation is often attempted before the foundations have been fully secured. Here are a few of the ups and downs.
Read more
Balancing Analogue and Digital in Participation Projects
When it comes to participation, digital tools might not always be the best fit for the job. We spoke to Participation Factory project manager Renáta Balogh about her work on different projects in the Czech Republic, how every project needs a unique approach and some of the challenges in applying technical solutions.
Read more
Deep Fakes, Disinformation and Democratic Elections
Artificial Intelligence's ever-increasing sophistication (generative AI in particular) and the ability to create fake yet authentic-looking media is taking its toll on already strained electoral processes. Here’s a look at the role of disinformation and ‘deep fake’ content in a couple of elections. One recent. And one on the horizon.
Read more
The Front Lines of Digital Democracy – Securing i-Voting in Estonia
Estonia is seen as leading the way when it comes to i-Voting. Yet even with an established foundation, i-Voting is always facing fresh challenges.
Read more
How Liquid Democracy Won a Pub Quiz
It’s a Tuesday night just outside of Vienna. The teams are assembled. The hosts (Laura Giesen and myself) are prepared. And old rivalries start to flare up. The Innovation in Politics Institute is gathered for its yearly team retreat, and as is tradition, the first evening is concluded with a classic pub quiz. Except this […]
Read more
Authenticity and Engagement – 6 Methods for Verifying Participants
Verifying the identity of participants is one of the most crucial steps in digital participation - validating outcomes and giving credibility to projects more broadly. However the balance between authenticity and ease of engagement makes it tough to get right. Here are a few of the options out there, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Read more
Four Alternative Social Media Platforms for Political Organisations
With apparent chaos over at Twitter and a general loss of interest in Facebook, the status-quo of the social media world has seen a bit of a shakeup in recent months. Political organisations might find themselves looking for another place to grow an audience. We thought we'd take a look at a few of the alternatives.
Read more
What Can We Learn From The Civic Tech Field Guide?
The Civic Tech Field Guide is a catalogue of tools and resources covering the full breadth of 'tech for the common good'. For curator and co-founder Matt Stempeck, the journey behind it has fuelled a passion for all the projects out there getting good things done under difficult circumstances, and a deep appreciation for the positive role tech can play in democracy - if we're 'curious' enough.
Read more
AI in Politics Panel Review – ‘Buyer Beware’
On May 12 we brought together two experts in artificial intelligence for a discussion. 'Can an AI ever replace a politician?' we asked, half joking. The question was a segue into a deeper conversation about AI in politics. The good. The bad. And the complicated. This was the result.
Read more
The Changing Infrastructure of Democracy
At a panel last Thursday, leaders from two of Europe’s most successful DemTech platforms sat down with two civil society leaders in the same space for a conversation about the changing shape of democracy.
Read more
The Growing Market for Democracy Technologies
With the release of the report on 'Democracy Technologies in Europe' from the Innovation and Politics Institute (IPI) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), we thought we would wrap up some encouraging notes on the future of the DemTech market.
Read more