Planning methodology will largely be determined by whether the type of system is a periodic list,a continuous register or list or a civil registry.Whatever system is used the work always involves a set of detailed, complex and time-consuming tasks. Following are some of these tasks:
- Plan within the context of the applicable legal and administrative framework.
- Identify the logistical challenges facing the election management authority as well as solutions to them.
- Plan for an initial data collection exercise.
- Establish a procurement policy to provide the significant materials support required for the registration initiative.
- Identify and implement an operational infrastructure suited to the environment in which the registration exercise is being undertaken.
- Develop and implement a voter education program that helps voters understand registration and encourages them to participate.
- Initiate a staff selection and training program that meets the needs of the registration initiative. Bear in mind that some systems require a larger staff on a continuing basis, while other systems’ staffing needs rise during activity spikes.
- Plan how to implement the voter registration initiative.
- In the planning process, develop a detailed action plan setting out clearly defined objectives for each activity and steps for achieving the objectives.
- Initiate a process for compiling registration data. This could rely on voter registration centres, door-to-door registration, data-sharing arrangements with other bodies or a combination of all of these, plus targeted registration initiatives.
- Develop plans for securely storing registration data. Storage options include: entering original paper-based records into machine-readable records but retaining the originals; converting the original records to electronic format through scanning or other transcription; or electronic storage of records created electronically.
- The planning process involves developing a preliminary voters list. Allow sufficient time for list review and revision during the registration initiative.
- After entering changes into the preliminary list, produce and distribute the final voters list.
- Ensure that there is an audit trail allowing for closer scrutiny of changes to the voters list.
- Set a closing date for registration and publicize the date widely.
- Make sure that the names of people who voted in advance of the election are struck off the voters list.
- For anyone who might wish to challenge a decision of the election management authority, set up an appeals process.
- Finally, consider allowing registration on election day for people who come to the polls and discover that they are not on the list.
Each system may approach these tasks in a number of ways.
Planning for a Periodic List
A system using a periodic list of voters must have considerable administrative flexibility to create a new list for each electoral event. The election management authority must plan how it will contact each eligible voter, certify his or her identity, add the voter’s name to the register, and in some cases issue a voter identification card. It must also allow time for printing the preliminary voters list, making the list available for public inspection and dealing with objections. The planning must take into account population size and density, the authority’s staffing and material needs, the available budget and the timeline for completing all tasks.
One advantage of the periodic list is that it may not require the ongoing administrative structure common to systems that use a continuous list or a civil registry. Since the periodic list is not updated on a continuing basis, between elections the administrative structure can be relatively modest. When a list is being developed, however, the election management authority must be able to put in place a large administrative structure with trained staff. This takes advance preparation of all the elements involved, including training manuals, a training programme, office infrastructure, and position classification and responsibilities.
Planning for a Continuous List
The planning process differs for a system using a continuous list of voters. The election management authority must distinguish between tasks involved in gathering the initial registration data and tasks required to maintain the list by adding voters as they become eligible, removing others as they lose eligibility and changing voter records to reflect changes of address.
With a continuous list, much of the data gathered in the initial registration will need to be re-used. This makes it important to begin by considering how the information will be gathered and stored so that it can later be updated. The list may be organised on the basis of individuals (increasingly mobile) or residential addresses (highly static). Most administrators find that geographic organisation on the basis of addresses makes it easier to update a continuous list.
Planning for a Civil Registry
Some countries gather information specifically for their civil registry. The authority responsible for the civil registry collects the information and uses it to develop the civil registry database. In other instances, the authority integrates information collected by other bodies. It concentrates on overseeing the integrity of the information provided by those bodies rather than directly gathering information itself.
To choose between the two approaches, the civil registry should first assess the quality of the information that would be available from other sources, using the three performance measures of currency, accuracy and completeness. This assessment will indicate whether major changes would be needed in the way that information is gathered and how challenging it would be to make such changes.
