IN recent years, our reliance on mobile apps and new platforms has surged to new heights, catalysed by a pandemic-induced shift in favour of all things digital. According to a report by Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Company, Internet penetration in South-east Asia reached 75 per cent in 2021. The region's Internet economy is also forecast to hit US$1 trillion by 2030. Yet, in spite of our insatiable appetite for tech, one aspect of civic life has remained largely unchanged - voting.

In a region known for its "smart cities", super apps, and highly developed tech ecosystems, it is curious that voting still seems so firmly rooted in the past. As precarious queues at polling stations across Asia abound amid the pandemic, longstanding issues around mail-in ballots in the world's oldest democracy shone a similar light on the limitations of modern-day voting mechanisms. While some countries have turned to e-voting, concerns over voter fraud and cyberattacks persist, making it apparent that the modern-day voting mechanism is due for an update.

Digital certainties