TALK about the coming election may be rife with constant mention by local politicians and coverage by the mass media.

However, the excitement and sense of anticipation created may not be reflective of voters’ enthusiasm.

Just take a look at figures released by the Elections Commission (EC) released in the latter part of last year.

According to the EC, some 4.8 million of 15.1 million people who are above 21 years and eligible to vote have not registered. And those aged 21 to 35 comprise 70 per cent of those who failed to register.

Of the 50 respondents over 21 years old interviewed, 31 admitted they had yet to register while others declined to answer or said they had already registered.

Perhaps the situation could be attributed to the manner in which this group of potential voters is being reached. Many in the age group are still pursuing their studies or may have just embarked on their careers.

As such, they would be a bit too wrapped up in whatever they are involved in with priorities that might differ from those of the general voting population.

One thing that those in the age group would be constantly be in touch with and interested in is the Internet.

Why not set up a virtual counter to make it easy for those who haven’t registered to vote? And to ensure all citizens cast their votes next year, provide a platform for electronic voting (e-voting).

This way, those abroad, located in rural areas as well as those who would rather stay at home to vote can exercise their rights.

The Philippines’ Electoral Board concluded an Internet voting pilot test that involved electronic vote casting by overseas Filipino voters registered in Singapore.

A member of the board was quoted saying that the benefits of Internet voting does not just provide convenience for overseas Filipinos, but generates a lot of savings since the Electoral Board would no longer have to create Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) and print paper ballots.

However, creating a platform for e-registration and e-voting is not as simple as it seems. It involves a lot of costs and requires some policy changes even. There is also a need to securely identify the e-voter as the person he or she is claiming to be.

Of course, some might argue that this would be where the security features of the national identity card, MyKAD, can play its role. But to this day, there are still many Malaysians – including those eligible to vote – who haven’t applied for one.

So, unless all get their act together, many will miss the opportunity to cast their vote and help determine the future of the country. And that will be due to no one’s fault but theirs.