The main issues regarding voter registration costs have to do with the type of registration system (permanent versus ad hoc, automatic versus show-up update); institutional locus responsible for voter registration (the EMB or a separate agency); and degree of resilience in cost assessment (easily identifiable versus diffuse costs). The following conceptual considerations, which are likely to be relevant to a correct assessment of voter registration costs, are excerpted from a UNDP assessment mission in Cambodia in August 2004.

For more information covered in this section, see:

• General considerations on the purpose of voter list in comparison with other registries of people
• Voter registration systems in a global perspective
• Quality standards of voter lists
  
• Managing the cost of voter/civil registries: Country Experiences