Is E-Voting an Alternative to the Ballot Box? A Field Study in Gaziantep

Abstract

Recent health risks and the high number of voters make it necessary to produce alternatives to the traditional ballot used in elections. For this purpose, new methods that facilitate the voting process and the advantages provided by technology are evaluated in terms of increasing democratic turnout. The aim of this study is to understand which of the two methods, e-voting and voting at the ballot box, voters would prefer as the dependent variable. Since the dependent variable in the study has two categories, Binary Logistic Regression analysis was applied. Data were collected from 475 respondents living in Gaziantep through a questionnaire on voting method preference. Among the dependent variables, age and gender were not statistically significant in determining the preferences for voting methods of the participants. A relationship was found between education level and voting preferences. It was also observed that the higher the level of education of the voter, the higher the rate of preference for e-voting. The questions measuring the level of political interest were developed in the light of the findings of previous studies. Individuals with high political interest are more likely to vote at the ballot box than via e-voting. Ideological differences also affect the preferences for voting methods of individuals. Considering the data obtained from the study; it can be assumed that e-voting as an alternative voting method will be preferred by voters in Türkiye in the future.