Toward a Significant E-Voting Adoption Model: The Digital Divide

Abstract

Technology, through internet use, has changed how citizens interact and communicate with their governments. However, in any society, a proportion of people cannot access this type of interaction due to digital divide issues. Consequently, this study developed a model by investigating the impact of digital divide factors on technological system adoption, that is, e-voting, mainly in Jordan, a developing country. The model proposes that four digital divide factors, namely age, education, income, and internet use, directly influence citizens’ intentions to use an e-voting website. A survey study of 267 Jordanian citizens (and internet users) explored whether the digital divide e-voting adoption model was significant. Analysis of the collected data showed the model’s significance for exploring the digital divide’s impact on citizens’ intentions to use an e-voting website. This study, with its focus on parliamentary elections, is one of the few to examine how the digital divide influences e-voting adoption in the Middle East. Future research will focus on municipality elections.