Virtual conference explores online voting challenges, women’s role in election process

AMMAN — Online voting “does not meet the basic standards” for monitoring the electoral process with transparency and integrity, Musa Maaytah, Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, said on Saturday.

The minister made his remarks during a virtual media conference titled “The Importance of Media in Enhancing Women's Participation in Public and Political Life", launched by the Solidarity is Global Institute (SIGI).

Maaytah, who is also chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Women's Empowerment, said that e-voting will open the way for black money to enter the electoral process, and that women will be “the most affected” in this arena, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Another issue, he noted, is the many remote villages whose residents cannot exercise their right to vote electronically due to the lack of mobile devices and Internet connectivity. He stressed that it is difficult to monitor these elections to ensure the confidentiality and impartiality of e-voting.

He also highlighted the importance of shifting to online electoral campaigns to ensure social distancing, stressing that the move would also result in a greater role of women in the election process.

Highlighting the importance of SIGI’s efforts to resolve various issues, Spanish Cooperation Coordinator in Jordan Vicente Ortega Cámara, also participating in the conference, expressed the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development’s readiness to support the outcomes of the conference.

The conference falls within SIGI’s "Eye on Women" project, funded by the European Union in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development.