23rd February 2026
Reshaping democracy for the digital age
Sian Roberts, Executive Director – Democracy, Civica
While there are no immediate plans to change the traditional ballot paper and pen, Sian Roberts looks at where else digital solutions are helping to reshape democracy for the digital age.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the ballot paper and pencil seem to be leftover icons from an analogue world, but to many they still represent the best way of ensuring the legitimacy of modern-day elections. “Interference from bad actors around e-voting, whether attempted or successful, could easily call the integrity of elections and results into question”, says Peter Stanyon, chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA). “Until a foolproof solution is available, paper and pencil remain the way to go.”
However, we are also in a time when 16- and 17-year-olds – a generation that has grown up with touch screen technology as the default – are being invited to join the electorate for the first time. The need to engage more citizens in democracy was a key driver in this decision, especially as participation rates in the most recent elections have reached historic lows. Engaging this new group of young adults will require approaches that can mirror the ways in which they now predominantly consume the world, and that means going digital wherever possible.
Digitising public sector democracy
It's also important to look at futureproofing the sector, not just through the lens of attracting younger people to vote, but also to attract young volunteers on polling day or those that will become the returning officers of the future.
In its Blueprint for a Modern Electoral Landscape, the AEA highlighted how overly complex manual processes, especially those introduced in The Elections Act 2022, are a barrier for many, adding that as a result ‘competent and knowledgeable staff are becoming harder to recruit and retain.’ The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also completed a strategic review of electoral registration and conduct in April 2025, which recognised the increasing challenges in recruiting polling day staff and a need to simplify polling station processes. In fact, many of these procedures have remained unchanged since the 19th century, highlighting the urgency to modernise systems so that we can deliver democracy in a more engaging and effective way for all involved.
Financial resilience in electoral services
In today’s climate, futureproofing processes is a theme that is running throughout the public sector. Organisations are increasingly looking to technology to deliver greater efficiency and reduce costs by optimising their processes.
The delivery of elections using current processes is a costly activity. From poll cards and postal votes to running polling stations, the total administrative cost of 2019’s General Election was £147.42 million, which averaged £3.09 per elector. These same administrative tasks are incumbent on local authorities during local elections too, and the costs are especially exacerbated by the need to print or post lots of paper-based materials.
The government’s policy paper – Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, provides lots of digital focus areas that should begin to make a difference, from automated registration to digital IDs. It calls for the exploration of new ways to make polling stations ‘more efficient and more convenient, meeting elector expectations of modern public services and facilitating efficient public services.’
Improved user experiences
There are lots of opportunities to allow technology to lighten the administrative load on polling staff and stations. It can help manage registers, verify IDs, organise resources on polling day or complete compliance checks far quicker and more effectively than manual methods. By employing technology in these ways, you’re also inviting more mature data use, which means insights on polling station performance or how well the electorate are engaged, for example.
While the act of casting a vote still relies on pen and paper in the public sector, a combination of analogue and digital works best when the voter journey between the two is as seamless as possible. We should expect particular attention to be paid in this area as the policy paper’s recommendations are actioned.
It's a grapple between the need to remove barriers so that electors can have a positive voting experience at the same time as maintaining the strictest levels of integrity so that citizens will trust the democratic process.
Find out more about Civica’s election services, here.
