Students to push for online voting in KSU elections

A new voting system for University Students Council (KSU) elections is being proposed in an attempt to challenge student apathy and increase voter turnout.

Students Dario Cacopardo and Nathaniel Falzon will be submitting proposals on Wednesday in attempt to move the KSU voting online – specifically through the voting system ElectionBuddy.

“Unfortunately, in the past years, elections for University of Malta student council have experienced very low participation rates when it comes to voting – some 30%,” Cacopardo wrote on his Facebook page.

“This is an opportunity to increase interest and participation, incite debate and maturity, engage a level playing field for all candidates and promote the efficient use of the limited resources and time that we have.”

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Cacopardo said that student organisations showed support for the amendments, and that IT services were also consulted on the issue.

ElectionBuddy is hosted in Canada and is used in educational institutions such as Harvard University and Yale University.

The fact that the platform is hosted abroad would ensure fair elections, as Cacopardo said that no Maltese citizen is employed at ElectionBuddy.