Information delays in election reporting can open questions about vote tampering. During Kenya’s 2002 presidential election, independent monitoring groups used mobile phones to speed up election reporting results. The Institute for Education in Democracy (IED) mobilized volunteers using their own mobile phones. This kind of independent election monitoring allowed grassroots reporting of vote tallies from each polling place. In many Kenyan polling stations there were no fixed land lines. The fast communication provided by monitors using mobile phones made it difficult to tamper with results.
Volunteer Mobile Phone Network
In previous elections, votes had to be physically transported to key counting points. Only then could any results be released. Although observers monitored this process, the delay did leave open the possibility of fraud. Or at least raised suspicion of fraud.
Two groups received credentials by the election commission to observe the vote count monitored the election. The Institute for Education in Democracy (IED), and the Kenya Domestic Observer Programme (K-DOP). Both organizations mobilized volunteers:
- IED stationed volunteers in 178 of Kenya’s 210 constituencies. Volunteers used their own phones. They received an allowance of 2000 Kenyan shillings (about US$26). They called a central IED office to report as soon as votes were counted. The numbers were posted immediately on the Internet. Volunteers also called in to report violence and malpractice. The IED results were available even before the official results of the Kenya’s electoral commission. This was because the commission had a more complicated protocol for releasing results.
- K-DOP also used a network of volunteers. But K-DOP did not have standard provisions for reimbursement.
Kenyan election commission officers also reported results by phone. They used government-supplied satellite phones or their own mobile phones where no land lines existed. One observer in Kenya noted that officials used mobile phones to report problems. For example, voters not included in the rolls or when some voters were still turned away. This occurred because of the complicated protocols involved in fixing the problem.
Transparency and the Prevention of Violence
Quick independent reporting of these several networks provided transparency and prevented violence. Violence may have occurred had people on the losing side of the election suspected fraud. The fast reporting forced both the major candidates and their supporters to accept the results as legitimate.
In Kenya, mobile phone networks have been used to keep elections fair and honest. It is important to recognize the role of volunteers. Both civil society organizations relied on volunteers to report results via mobile phones. This shows how grassroots networks can strengthen transparency and election integrity. Volunteers using their own mobile phones made it possible to report the results and prevent vote tampering. They play a key role in preserving people’s right to take part in the government of their country.
The role technology in our lives continues to expand. This tactic highlights how mobile phone networks can be useful in situations when time is of the essence. In this case, during and immediately following elections. It provided critical confidence in the control of ballot boxes and vote tallies. For elections, this can ensure they are fair. It is important to recognize the role of volunteers. While they cannot always speed up bureaucracy, they can help to preserve election integrity. Mobile phones have also been used in other elections around the world. For example, during the 2000 elections in Peru. Nonpartisan monitors from the Peruvian organization Transparencia telephoned turnout numbers. They provided evaluations of the quality of the voting and counting processes. They also reported precinct election results to a central data analysis center from a randomly selected sample of polling stations across the country. Some reports came from remote regions of the Andes and Amazon regions. Transparencia’s data analysis prompted national and international pressure for Alberto Fujimori to accept a run-off election. Mobile phones are now increasingly used for a wide range of monitoring purposes.
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