DA enters battle for votes armed with tablets, mobile app

THE DA is going hi-tech ahead of next year’s local government elections, arming their field activists with tablets and using mobile app technology to drive voter canvassing operations.

While most political parties are counting their rands and cents, the DA in the Western Cape – inspired by President Barack Obama’s successful canvassing of new voters in 2008 – has been handing out tablets to their activists to drive their operations.

“For the first time we are aiming at personally speaking to every single resident in Cape Town, either via the phone or in person through a door-to-door visit. We are making good progress on meeting this goal,” Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA’s election coordinator for Cape Town metro, said.

“The DA has spent a great deal of time developing our own custom-made voter canvassing app,” Hill-Lewis added.

He added that the app was available to the public at https://me.da.org.za/#/welcome

“This kind of technology really is the future of campaigning in South Africa. Most of the rest of the world’s democracies already use this technology, and it played a huge role in Barack Obama’s unprecedented success in canvassing and mobilising new voters in 2008,” he added.

Hill-Lewis said while they are somewhat behind, they were catching up fast.

“Some of our activists are issued with tablets that allow them to use this app to canvass voters on the streets of Cape Town,” he added.

While DA insiders were keen on the technology, some expressed concern about the prospect of tablets either being lost or stolen in the process.

“The equipment is being issued but in all likelihood will not be returned again,” a DA member said.

Another member suggested that their activists could even become targets for criminal elements.

With political parties heading straight into campaign mode in the New Year, most cash-strapped parties will continue to canvass support the old way, doing door-to-door visits to lobby support.

Asked if the ANC will be doing anything differently in the way they canvass support, ANC provincial leader, Marius Fransman said the party would concentrate on meeting people where they “stay and play”.

“There is no substitute for personal interaction and grass roots structures dealing with real issues,” Fransman stressed.

He said the ANC Western Cape was going “full out” to retain its wards and build better relations with other communities.

ACDP provincial leader, Ferlon Christians, said their members would be back in the fold in the third week of next month.

Christians said that one of their biggest challenges was resources.

“With what we have we will canvass support and make sure that people know that we are a viable alternative to the DA and ANC. People must not believe the myth that voting for a small party is a wasted vote. The ACDP can and will keep municipalities responsible and accountable. Every vote counts,” he added.

The EFF’s provincial leader, Bernard Joseph, said that their biggest challenge was the continued lack of financial resources to mobilise and reach each and every person in the province. “Our aim is to establish a branch in every ward and we will continue to engage with communities throughout the province,” Joseph said.

He added that the EFF distanced itself from canvassing for votes with promises of payment, groceries or any item to bribe people for support.