Three Lessons from Working National Elections

I've worked three national election cycles in Albania 2021, 2023, and 2025, as an IT Operator for the Central Election Commission. My job was to operate voter ID verification systems and biometric scanners at polling stations.

It's high-pressure work. Elections are the foundation of democracy, and any technical failure undermines public trust. Here's what I learned.

Lesson 1: Technology Must Be Invisible When It Works

Good election technology should be seamless. Voters shouldn't think about the systems, they should just vote. When verification takes 5 seconds, trust increases. When it takes 2 minutes, people get frustrated and suspicious.

Across all three elections I worked, we maintained 100% system uptime. That's not luck, it's preparation, testing, and having backup plans for everything.

Lesson 2: Security and Accessibility Must Coexist

Election systems walk a tightrope: they need to be secure enough to prevent fraud, but accessible enough that everyone can vote without barriers. Biometric verification helps with security, but it can't be so strict that it excludes elderly voters or people with worn fingerprints.

The best systems are flexible, they use technology to strengthen the process without making it harder for voters to participate.

Lesson 3: Trust Is Earned Through Transparency

People trust elections when they can see how the process works. That means clear communication, visible safeguards, and accountability at every step. Technology can support this, but it can't replace human oversight.

I'm proud to have contributed to Albania's democratic processes across three election cycles. It reinforced my belief that technology should serve people, not the other way around.