e-Voting: Oman takes giant step in innovation

MUSCAT : Innovation is key to economic growth and Oman has emerged as the best performers in recent times. On Sunday, December 25, the Sultanate showed its technological prowess when nearly 300,000 citizens took part in a voting process to choose 126 members via a mobile app in the Municipal Council elections.

The ‘Intakheb’ App (known as I Vote) saw both voting and sorting operations contributed to saving time and effort, as well as financial costs. The procedure involved the automation of the entire voting-sorting system, from the moment the names of voters are entered in the Electoral Register, through the stage of candidacy to the stages of voting and vote sorting.

Speaking to The Arabian Stories, several voters expressed their confidence in the online system, terming it as a technological advancement. “Voting was very easy through the use of the application Intakheb, which is an easy-to-use system designed according to high-security standards,” Omani citizen Muhammad bin Ali Al Abri.

During his speech on Sunday evening after successfully concluding the elections, His Excellency Sayyid Hamoud Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior pointed out that new high accuracy applications were implemented, to ensure both secrecy and cybersecurity. “This process is fully reliant on artificial intelligence accessed via smart phones to enable the voters from Oman and abroad to select their preferred candidates,” he noted.

Meanwhile, citizens said the elected Council members can be the voice of people in national development. “These councils promote and develop national plans and share opinions and proposals regarding the development of the governorates through periodic meetings and recommendations that affect the requirements of the people of this country, and participation in the election process enhances my sense of belonging to this country and loyalty to the leader of the renewed renaissance— His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik,” Al Abri added.

Amal Saif Al Azri, an Omani citizens said the election process for the municipal councils for the third term is a step that reflects the culture of society and the knowledge. “We hope that the candidates will exert their efforts to present what is good and useful in the next stage and search for ideas and projects that serve the governorates,” Amal said.

“The council elections are one of the distinctive experiences practiced by citizens to choose who represents them in the municipal council, and the municipal councils are specialized in studying and presenting proposals in aspects related to the development of the province’s states, and submitting proposals for development plans and projects in a way that contributes. What distinguishes the voting process for this period is that It is done through the electronic application, I was elected, and it is a distinctive addition and a shortcut to the effort, time, and money,” she added.

For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.

The post e-Voting: Oman takes giant step in innovation appeared first on The Arabian Stories News.