Voter Registration Index

Voter Registration Quiz

Voter registration establishes the eligibility of individuals to cast a ballot. As one of the more costly, time-consuming and complex aspects of the electoral process, it often accounts for a considerable portion of the budget, staff time and resources of an election authority. If conducted well, voter registration confers legitimacy on the process. If the registration system is flawed, the entire process may be perceived as illegitimate.

This section contains:

• an Overview of voter registration
• the Context of this topic for understanding election administration more generally
• some of the Guiding Principles that characterize an effective voter registration system

The next section on General Issues explains and compares the three major types of voter registration system: the periodic list, the continuous register and the civil register. It presents the argument that no one type is necessarily best. Instead, each has advantages and disadvantages that make it more or less effective in differing social, political and environmental contexts. The section then reviews issues to be addressed in designing a voter registration system – for example, the use of voter registration cards, the computerization of voters lists, allowing voter registration on election day, and provisions for anonymous voters.

The section on Specific Administrative Issues examines particular issues that arise when undertaking a voter registration program. The issues tend to be more focused, more detailed and applicable to all voter registration systems. Examples of these issues are procurement policies, the selection and training of staff, implementing the voter registration plan, maintaining the voters list, and distributing the final voters list.