Targeted registration is a registration initiative trying to reach an identifiable group of voters, usually because that group has lower registration rates than the general population. Among the groups that may be targeted are young voters, members of ethnic communities, poor and homeless people, women, voters living abroad, and high-mobility urban voters.

Young Voters

Since voting levels have historically been lowest among young people, the election authority may launch an initiative to increase registration of young voters. As part of the initiative, it may develop a voter education program focusing on youth; this could also be used as a component of high school civic education programs. To interest young people and involve them in the voting process, the election authority may organize public performances, such as the “Rock the Vote” events held recently in some countries. The election authority may also develop a provisional register of young people who will reach voting age within one or two years; once they do, they can automatically be transferred to the general voters list.

Members of Ethnic Communities

Members of ethnic communities may face significant language barriers to electoral participation. They may also have little or no understanding of the democratic process or their right to register and vote. To deal with such problems, the election authority may make election information available in multiple languages. Dialogue with leaders of an ethnic community can help to identify strategies for actively involving that community in the election process.

Poor and Homeless People

Poorer members of society are less likely to register or participate in political life. Sometimes registration rules require voters to have a fixed address; people who cannot meet the requirement may effectively be prevented from registering. A solution may be to allow these people to use the address of a homeless shelter in their community. In a city with more than one electoral district, homeless people may be assigned addresses at shelters throughout the city; the result will be that they are registered in roughly proportionate numbers in each electoral district, equalizing the effect of registering this group of voters.

Women

Some societies still maintain social and cultural, if not legal, barriers to women’s political participation. A registration campaign targeting women may try to give them access to voter education materials encouraging them to register and vote; the materials are placed in locations where women are likely to see them. Many election authorities work with women’s organizations to get the message out effectively.

Voters Living Abroad

Increasing numbers of people travel far from their home in search of employment, in many cases going to foreign countries. Some people leave spouse and children behind while they work abroad for lengthy periods. Despite their absence, they maintain close ties to their home country and identify with it. Targeted registration efforts for such people may include special visits by the election authority to foreign jurisdictions to register voters, or a voter education program advising them of their right to register and vote as well as how to do so.

High-Mobility Urban Voters

In large urban centres in economically advanced democracies, up to 20 percent of people change their address each year. In a country with a continuous list, the election authority must make a considerable effort to track such changes in the time between elections. As an election approaches, many such voters (who may disproportionately be young) are bound to be registered inaccurately. A targeted registration initiative for this group may involve a voter education campaign combined with highly focused door-to-door enumeration.