Digital democratization: the place of smart card readers in the 2019 general election in Enugu West Senatorial Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria

Nigeria's electoral malpractices since 1999 have reduced electorates' chances of changing government, leading to fraud accusations and a need for improvement. Post-election violence and tribunals have exacerbated these anomalies, highlighting the need for improvement in the electoral process. INEC must align electoral system with global innovations for digital democratization in Nigeria, addressing anomalies in previous elections. The study used Davis' Technology Acceptance Model for a cross-sectional survey in Nigeria, involving 255 electorates in the 2019 election, using mean and standard deviation. In 2019, Nigerian election utilized smart card readers, simplifying voting and promoting INEC's online presence, reducing double registration and accreditation issues. Keywords: Tribunal, INEC, Global innovation, Digital democratization, Electorate, Online, Accreditation