Voter Registration as PDF/printable document 
Voter Registration Index
Voter Registration Quiz
Voter registration establishes the eligibility of individuals to vote. 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 management authority. If conducted well, voter registration confers legitimacy to the process. The entire electoral process may be perceived as illegitimate should the registration system be flawed.
This section contains:
- An Overview of voter registration;
- Some of the Guiding Principles that characterise an effective voter registration system; and
- The Context for understanding election administration more generally.
The next section on General Issues explains and compares the three major voter registration systems namely: the periodic list, the continuous register and the civil register. It presents the argument that there is not one better system. Instead, each system has advantages and disadvantages that make it more or less effective in differing social, political, economic, 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 or national identity (ID) cards, the computerisation of voters’ lists, allowing voter registration on election day, provisions for anonymous voters and special provisions for displaced persons.
The section on Specific Administrative Issues examines particular issues that arise when undertaking a voter registration exercise. These 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.