the technical specifications below are the minimum requirements; submissions will be
accepted only where it meets or surpasses the specification for the required solutions.
3.1 Development framework
platform mobile development framework proposed by the bidder. The proposed framework
must support deployment to Android, iOS and Huawei environments, strong security,
performance, accessibility, maintainability, and integration with the Electoral Commission’s
existing systems and operating model.
3.2 User Access Management
3.2.1 The Electoral Commission’s stakeholders include voters, members of the media and
politicians. Politicians and some of the media members are also voters. The application
should be able to support role-based access and switch between different profiles to
allow for users to access the functionalities enabled for the different profiles. The
1 Nawal Omar - South African Electoral Commission’s mobile app for voters: Data privacy and security dimensions
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access for the different profiles. The Electoral Commission will also keep the login
details as the same details are used to access the respective websites.
3.2.2 The bidder is to ensure that the app is secure, no data leakage, encrypted
communication (https/TLS) and secure authentication (OTP and biometric support –
fingerprint and/or face recognition). The Electoral Commission has an SMS solution
and WhatsApp channel to support OTP.
3.2.3 The app is to include session timeouts and re-authentication for idle periods.
3.2.4 The bidder is required to assist the Electoral Commission clear privacy policy to deal
with the provisions of POPIA especially with the data that is collected from voters. The
bidder is to ensure that the implemented process and system avoid unnecessary data
collection.
3.2.5 Users do not always interact with the Electoral Commission’s app as elections occur
every 2-3 years. Users therefore tend to forget their usernames and passwords. Users
should be able to recover lost passwords and usernames securely and easily on the
application.
3.2.6 The bidder must ensure that the potential for unauthorised access is reduced or
eliminated.
3.2.7 The bidder is to enable users to manage profile settings, notification preferences, and
other app configurations within the mobile application
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3.4 Content Management Solution (CMS)
3.4.1 The public mobile app must be able to retrieve content from a Content Management
3.4.2 The details of the content management system will be disclosed at a later stage.
3.5 Development deliverables
3.5.1 The bidder is to re-design and re-develop the functionality of the existing public mobile
application using the proposed mobile development framework and architecture,
provided that the solution meets the Electoral Commission’s requirements for
portability, supportability, security, performance and long-term maintainability.
3.5.2 South Africa’s electorate is diverse varying in language, tech literacy and mobile device
capability. The bidder is to design the app for older adults, citizens with limited digital
skills, users with low-end devices and users with slow and limited data. The key
principle is that tasks must be kept simple, intuitive and fast.
3.5.3 The new mobile app must be designed for mobile environments with faster load times,
minimized data usage, lightweight graphics and support for older Android devices. The
bidder is to use adaptive images and enable caching so content can load offline where
possible.
3.5.4 The bidder is to ensure compatibility with accessibility standards (e.g. Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)) with high contrast, large tappable elements, screen
reader compatibility and text alternatives for icons.
3.5.5 The bidder is to integrate the new mobile application to the back-end services using the
Electoral Commission’s existing APIs and integration services, or compatible integration
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automated alerts and support.
3.5.7 The bidder is to implement location services to determine which voting station the
bidder is, suggest the nearest registration or voting station, find a voting station by
name, save or share directions. The system is to however ask for consent before
accessing location.
3.5.8 The bidder is to implement Push notifications and alerts which are relevant (e.g.
registration deadline, voting day information etc), allowing users to opt-in with clear
consent).
3.5.9 The bidder is to implement Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and chatbot support on
the public mobile app.
3.5.10 The developed app will be subjected to Functional Tests, Integration Tests,
3.5.13 Some of the functionalities to be implemented include the following:
3.5.13.1 Voter registration
accept legal terms to receive a One-Time Pin (OTP). A successful
verification of the One-Time Pin (OTP) advances the process.
a. uploading an image of their identity document (similar to the Voter
Portal), or
b. taking a photo of their identity card document during the transaction.
c. The app is to integrate with the Electoral Commission’s existing
document and image verification services, or an approved equivalent
service, where required for implementation of this functionality.
by either finding its location using an interactive map, or selecting the "I
am Home, use my current location" option.
3.5.13.2 Update Voter Address
their registered address of ordinary residence. The user needs to have
registered a user profile and sign-in with their login details.
Time Pin (OTP) sent to the user’s mobile number or email address. This
pin must be authenticated before the user can update their registered
address to complete the transaction. The facility will use the same
business rules and APIs as those of the VoterPortal. Once the voter’s
address of ordinary residence is updated, the voting station details are also
updated accordingly.
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