Can Virtual Reality Work in Third-World Countries?

The idea of improving voter education is exciting. It is a testament to the positive use of Artificial Intelligence, and its value cannot be denied. The quick development of this new field only makes us more excited. VR’ing Democracy offers multilingual virtual polling experiences and education resources to help increase confidence and turnout among underrepresented communities. Furthermore, VR’ing Democracy allows voters to experience voting in ballots, improving familiarity with the voting experience. However, there are doubts regarding the extent of this success in developing countries. In this post, we will be looking at how virtual reality can help develop third-world democracies.

Higher Voter Turnout

According to International IDEA, “Voter turnout is the extent to which eligible voters use their vote on election day.” The symbol of democracy for most countries i.e. United States had close to ninety million Americans that did not vote in the 2024 elections. In the Egyptian elections in 2015, voter turnout had reduced by 28%. In South Africa, almost ten million people were excluded from the voters list.

The above numbers show that both developed and developing countries struggle with attaining high voter turnout and minimising registration problems. While the registration problem may be more difficult to oversee with VR, low voter turnout is usually due to fear. Eighty-five voters were killed during the last presidential elections of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Such fears of violence exist in some countries. 

In terms of literacy, one out of four individuals are illiterate in developing countries. Simply reaching a certain grade does not make one literate as a person could still miss literacy skills. 

Virtual reality can help illiterate communities vote. This concept was used by freedom fighters in the post-independence era of India. This is still used in current times, where political parties use symbols to help voters understand which party they are voting for.

Figure 1 Major political parties in India and its symbols

We can easily adjust this concept with virtual reality. A creative approach to this initiative is by having political parties develop what the world would look like according to their policies. Lower taxes could be shown as a customer not paying indirect taxes or a patient easily visiting a doctor. Both reflect what many policies promise: lower taxes and better healthcare.

This allows for better engagement of such communities as they understand the policies of political parties through visual learning. It also allows them to vote for a party that meets their demands and aspirations.

Confidence is instilled in voters.

Many 18-year-olds feel disconnected due to language barriers, limited information, or unfamiliarity with the concept of voting. By allowing voters to enter a simulation of the “everyday” scenario under each candidate, knowledgeable voters can choose “better” leaders, allowing for greater accountability and responsiveness by the government. 

However, critics may argue that some form of bias may still occur where one simulation develops more positively and the other may be developed more harshly, and vice-versa. These issues would be more prevalent in newer democracies. On a more extreme level, these could potentially create havoc and ignite violence. 

While this is true, this could be managed by fostering a relationship between policymakers and VR developers. This can help create both jobs and lessen the chances of someone saying, “Of course, they would portray X like that. It is clear they do not like liberals.” These simulations could be further checked with policymakers of the parties, political experts and academics to ensure that no accounts of favouritism are shown. This would indicate that the parties are aware of the simulations created and approved them. 

Reduce Misinformation

One of the fundamental issues when elections roll out is misinformation. Wrong or exaggeration of policies are spread across social media. Sixty-four per cent of election officers have reported that their jobs have become “more dangerous” due to false information. Voter confidence has reduced. The worst impact of misinformation is the fact that voter suppression laws are supported in the United States. The cut of funding to Mexico’s independent National Electoral Institute can potentially cause voter suppression. This is completely against democracy. 

The power of social media is also clear as Kamala Harris, the 2024 presidential candidate focused on promoting her campaign through TikTok, attempting to gain the confidence of young people. 

Developing these simulations can dramatically reduce such misinformation. As voters experience both voting in ballots and a day under the rule of an elected official, voters can make better choices. 

It is crucial to note that by being biased, it would only underestimate the whole purpose of VR’ing Democracy, which is to improve voter education. By spreading misinformation, we only join the wide number of accounts on TikTok providing false information on elections.

Hence, it is more important than ever that we fact-check the information we consume on social media. Remember to read official websites which tend to write on a more neutral aspect. Many news channels also endorse specific parties and candidates. Here is a list of organisations supporting a party during the 2024 American elections:  

Figure 2 Political Affiliations of News Organizations

Protect yourself from false information, learn about your leaders and be aware of your rights. We can only bring change if we know how to vote and to whom.

Voter education is a right. Not a privilege. 

Citations

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