Legal Framework
The legal framework governing the electoral process usually provides guidelines for voter registration. The legal provisions may be found in the constitution, electoral law or legislation enacted specifically for voter registration. Normally the provisions are established before registration begins, preferably with public involvement, including political parties, in their development.
Voter education programmes explain the guidelines on voter eligibility. Other guidelines concern how the registration process is to be administered. For example, they may require advance notification of the dates, hours and locations for census or registration, or may specify the personnel or officials to be involved in the registration effort.
Administrative Framework - Organisational Levels
Two organisational levels are involved in the administrative framework for designing and implementing effective voter registration procedures. First is the central election management authority, which may be a national organisation or (especially in a federal system) or a combination of national and regional/local bodies. Normally, the central authority is a permanent government body or an arm’s-length commission having overall responsibility for electoral events.
The central election management authority designs the voter registration system, including forms, computer hardware and software operations, and policies and procedures. It also designs training manuals and oversees the professional implementation of all aspects of the system. When administration is handled by an electoral commission, this body exercises oversight to ensure that the system is implemented in a standardised, uniform and impartial manner. The electoral commission can also carry out voter registration and not just have an oversight role (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia). The second organisational level is local. Since registration activities may be highly decentralised, there should be a well-developed local administrative structure to deal with local issues.
Particularly in systems using a periodic list, almost all local registration tasks are usually performed by staff having only a short-term connection with the election management body. Typically, many have little or no previous experience with election administration or voter registration. This underlines the need for personnel able to oversee local implementation of the system, as well as for tried and tested protocols to provide support. In some jurisdictions, however, local personnel may be permanent employees of the government or administration who have been assigned to undertake registration duties or personnel that the electoral management authority regularly calls upon during a voter registration exercise.
In addition to the central and local organisational levels, there is often a regional component that is given responsibility for ensuring standardized implementation locally and for coordinating the information communicated to the central election management authority.
Importance of Early Planning
The electoral or registration authority can carry out its responsibilities effectively only if it has adequate material, human and financial resources. The budget is set in advance by senior management, ideally without political interference. The officials responsible for registration must be perceived as professional and competent. If they are not, the legitimacy of the entire voter registration process may be compromised.
Administering a voter registration system involves:
- personnel management
- establishing an office infrastructure
- materials and procurement
Personnel Management
Registration staff must be well trained and known to be honest and impartial. They must also be perceived as free of political motivation and not subject to influence in the performance of their duties. If professional civil servants or government employees serve as registration officials, the election management authority must determine whether they might intimidate voters or have been known to do so in the past.
At the regional level, a registration official normally is designated to provide liaison between the central election administration and the local organization. Different titles are assigned to this official in different countries and jurisdictions; here we will use the title “regional registration director.” Normally this individual is responsible for overall implementation of the voter registration initiative in the territory under his or her jurisdiction. The regional registration director directly or indirectly supervises staff performing important functions.
In a system with a periodic list, registration generally requires the following functions:
- The revision assistant, assistant revising officer or registration supervisor works directly with the regional registration director in overseeing registration, and is authorized to act on behalf of the regional registration director in certain situations.
- If door-to-door registration is conducted, an registration supervisor trains the registration officers or registration clerks, and oversees their work. In a smaller jurisdiction, the regional registration director may be able to provide the necessary local supervision. (It is preferable to limit positions and administrative layers provided that doing so does not lessen effectiveness.)
- The registration officer or data collector is responsible for obtaining information directly from each voter or an approved responsible source.
- The computer specialist’s role depends on the degree to which the registration system is computerized. In a highly computerized system, the position will be important to the registration process. In a system that is not computerized, the position is unnecessary.
- Data entry operators or recorders take the raw data from the data collector’s or registration officer’s records, and enter the data into a database designed specifically for the production of a voters list. If computers are not used, a recorder organizes the data into a filing system.
Office Infrastructure
Normally the regional registration director oversees:
- installation of equipment and furnishings for local registration offices
- security for the equipment and furnishings
- the closing of local offices after registration ends
Clear guidelines from the central election management authority will assist the regional registration director in this task. In some countries it may be necessary to adapt to whatever facilities are available. For example, it might not be possible to set up fully equipped offices throughout the country or in some locations because of cost, geography or lack of equipment.
Registration Material
Most, if not all, of the actual registration materials are normally produced by the central election administration and shipped directly to local offices for their use. Key issues involved in distributing registration materials are the integrity of transportation and storage facilities, and the accuracy of forms and documents. Clear protocols for these issues can be set well in advance of registration.
In a system using a periodic list, registration takes place within a relatively short time, often with an election looming. A poorly administered registration exercise may cast doubt on the entire electoral process. Many components of the administrative framework can be established well before registration starts; accordingly, it is highly advisable to spend time and resources on building the framework early, when work pressure is relatively light. Many election administrations are not given sufficient resources for planning; in contrast, spending controls tend to be greatly relaxed during the election period itself, as if for crisis management. But crisis management tends to be expensive. Appropriate budgetary allocations in the period between elections can alleviate some of the pressures involved in managing registration. In fact, carefully planned spending between elections can yield substantial efficiencies and savings.
In a system using a continuous list, the voter registration process may be unobtrusive. For example, the election management authority may use registration officers only for very limited and targeted initiatives, and may not establish voter registration centres except during the revision period following publication of the preliminary list. Such a system has far more substantial requirements for ongoing administrative support but tends to avoid the spikes of activity found in systems using a periodic list.
