Voter identification cards may range from relatively simple to highly complex. At one end of the spectrum, the election management authority mails cards to all eligible voters advising them that they are registered to vote in a certain electoral district, and explaining when and where they can vote. A voter presents the card at the voting station on election day, with or without an additional piece of identification (such as a driver’s licence with a photograph of the voter). The purpose of this type of card is mainly to provide information to the voter; generally it is used in countries where there is little expectation that voters will attempt to multiple voting or otherwise commit electoral fraud.
In other countries, the voter identification card is a much more important instrument in preventing electoral fraud. For this reason the authorities may make extra efforts to integrate security features into the card, including:
- a laminated covering to prevent anyone from changing information on the card;
- a fingerprint of the voter on the card as well as on the form used to produce the voters’ list;
- a photograph of the voter;
- the signature of the voter;
- background printing in colours others than black to deter fraud through simple photocopying;
- a voter identification number corresponding to the number on the voter registration form, as a means of controlling the stock of forms and associated cards; and
- the residential address of the voter identification cards have sometimes played a crucial role in increasing the integrity and consequently the legitimacy of the electoral process. In certain countries where cards have a large number of security features, they have become the effective form of citizen identification. Other countries already have other forms of citizen identification and there is no need for the election management authority to duplicate efforts.
A voter identification card offers a number of advantages:
- It is a reliable form of identification.
- It serves as acknowledgement that the voter is duly registered.
- It may include several identifying features (e.g. photograph, signature, fingerprints) to provide greater assurance that the voter is who he or she claims to be.
- It may be marked when the voter has obtained a ballot, preventing multiple voting.
- It can be designed to be suitable for an electorate with a low literacy rate.
- It can be an effective form of identification where many voters have no fixed address.
- It facilitates voting in areas where a voter may not be known personally.
- It can be issued together with voter education material.
In addition, there may be other, less tangible reasons for favouring voter identification cards. For example, according to a study of photo ID cards, the cards were said to convey to voters a feeling of pride in their right to participate in the electoral process.
The voter identification card has a number of disadvantages:
- It may be very costly to produce and update. This is not always the case, but costs rise as security features are added and the card comes to be regarded as the primary piece of identification held by citizens;
- The high costs must be borne by the government, the voter or both. If the cost is borne by the voter, a lower proportion of eligible voters will obtain a card;
- It can be lost or stolen;
- A significant administrative structure must be in place to produce the cards;
- It must be produced with appropriate technology. If there is no electricity at the registration and card-issuing sites, cards may be sealed with a cold laminate or may be unsealed;
- Some voters will arrive at the voting station without their card. Procedures must be developed to deal with this situation;
- It must be updated periodically. Cards wear out over time and the pictures on them become outdated. Hence the need for a system to replace cards regularly;and
- The election management authority must have a reliable system for delivering cards. Ideally the card should be produced when the voter registers, but this may not be practical or feasible.
