Need for Cost-Benefit Analysis
When considering the appropriate level of technology to be used for various voting operations processes, cost factors must be a major consideration. The use of new technology may enhance the image of the electoral management body and contribute to efficiency in services and reliability. However, a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of new technology proposals is essential to ensure optimal use of resources.
It must also be clearly understood by election administrators that the information technology market is an aggressive sellers' market with a basic profit motive, more perhaps than a sense of public benefit.
Key Issues in Assessing Technology Cost-Effectiveness
Key questions to be addressed in relation to the cost-effectiveness of implementation of technology-based solutions include:
How much value will be added by implementation of the technology? How much more will it provide in achieving any or all of the guiding principles of voting operations (see Guiding Principles), compared to simpler, lower technology solutions?
How do the benefits compare to any additional expenditures required?
Is the level of start-up expenditure justifiable, given available total election funding? Technology-based systems typically do not produce cost benefits immediately, due to the high level of expenditure for equipment, capital, training and other start-up activities. Given the rate of change in technologies and potential trends towards decreasing costs for many automated solutions, picking the right time to acquire technology is also important for cost-effectiveness.
What are the ongoing costs? Careful consideration needs to be given to future costs of maintaining automated solutions, in terms of equipment or software maintenance, training, upgrades, licence fees and the like.
If technological solutions are to be introduced, is it better to develop and implement them in-house or to contract this out to specialists? The lower initial costs of contracting out on a fee basis may be attractive, but there may be disadvantages. Reliance on an outside contractor for time-critical technology-based voting operations functions may leave the electoral management body open to problems of reliability. Given the specialised nature of many voting operations automated systems, this may also leave it unable to escape substantial cost increases for subsequent contracts. Careful consideration needs to be given to cost versus control and reliability issues.
What other alternatives are available for the use of the funds that would be required? This is not a question just limited to alternative uses within the election budget. Funds used for elections in general are not available for other social expenditure.
Social Costs
Most importantly, the introduction of new technology will have not only financial costs but social costs as well. Automated systems for, say, pre-packaging of voting site materials may, on balance, be more effective, or even less costly. Where their introduction will lead to loss of casual election work opportunities, even for such short periods, and particularly in areas of high unemployment, the effect on local communities needs to be considered.
While many of these issues can be of more particular concern in less developed societies (see Special Considerations in Less Developed Countries), they are also relevant in more advanced environments.
