Analysis of global and Ukrainian public opinion on trends in the development of electoral technologies

Abstract

In modern democratic societies, electoral technologies play a key role in ensuring transparency, legitimacy, and trust in electoral processes. In the context of the rapid digitalization of the world and growing challenges of information security, the analysis of global trends in the development of electoral technologies and their perception by society is particularly relevant. At the same time, in Ukraine, the issue of introducing innovations into electoral processes remains debatable due to historical challenges and an insufficient level of public trust. The purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of global and Ukrainian trends in the development of electoral technologies, study the factors that affect public trust in them, and develop recommendations for increasing the transparency and legitimacy of electoral processes in Ukraine based on world experience. Methods.The work uses a comprehensive approach that combines an analysis of scientific literature, a comparative analysis of international experience, sociological methods of studying public opinion, and expert assessments. A content analysis of publications, reports, and results of sociological surveys was conducted, as well as a systematic review of factors that shape the level of trust in electoral systems. Results. The study identified key global trends in the development of electoral technologies - digitalization of voting, the use of biometrics, blockchain technologies, and online surveillance. It was determined that the level of public support for innovations depends on the level of democracy of institutions and transparency of electoral procedures. Ukraine has an ambiguous perception of new technologies, due to historical and information barriers. The main factors of trust formation were identified, in particular, institutional independence, openness of technologies, countering disinformation, and digital inclusion. Based on the analysis, recommendations were developed to increase the transparency and legitimacy of electoral processes in Ukraine. Conclusions. The introduction of modern electoral technologies in Ukraine is possible under the condition of a systemic approach that provides for ensuring the institutional independence of electoral bodies, the development of digital education, openness of technical solutions, and active public control. Further research should focus on studying regional specificities of technology adoption, the impact of social networks and artificial intelligence on electoral processes, as well as empirical evaluation of pilot projects for the digitalization of elections.