Once the preliminary voters’ list has been produced, interested parties must be able to review it. Wide availability of the list is essential for election integrity. To publicise the list, the election management authority should adopt some appropriate communications strategies. Publication of the preliminary voters list can also provide significant opportunities for voter education.
Media Strategies
Various communications strategies may be used to publicise the list. These strategies include, television and radio campaigning; billboards, newspaper ads, handbills and posters can supplement this or be the main campaign channel where electronic media outlets do not exist. With the creation of social media and other social networks, these can also be used to publicise the list.The campaign informs all electoral stakeholders which includes voters themselves that the preliminary list is available and also tells them when and where they can go for inspection – perhaps at the registration office or another centre. There may be limits on the information that the voters are allowed to see. To protect privacy, for example, voters may be able to check only their own information, not the entire list.
Publicising the list can be expensive, especially if it involves large-scale advertising. Another option for informing voters that they can inspect the list is the use of public service announcements. These often cost less than regular advertising but may have less prominence. The basic message to be communicated is “You are registered if the following is true. . . .” Voters are not always required to verify that they are on the list. A voter may be given a receipt on registration, or mailed a card confirming registration and indicating when and where to vote.
Differing circumstances calls for different promotional strategies. In countries with a long history of free and fair elections and democratic governance, this strategy may be limited to public service announcements together with an information card mailed to all registered voters. In countries where elections and democracy are more recent innovations, the strategy may have a larger budget and linked to voter education efforts.
Non-Media Strategies
Apart from media-intensive strategies, there are other ways to highlight the availability of the preliminary voters list. One is simply to post a notice about the list in a public building or other public places. In some societies, the announcement could be made through the beating of drums or through theatrical performances. In addition, copies of the list are normally sent directly to the political parties (as required by law) or other interested groups. In short, there are many ways to publicize the list and constraints, if any, are likely to be financial.
Safeguarding the List
A voters’ list should normally be used for electoral purposes only, and no promotional strategy should violate this principle. A problem with displaying the list in a public place is that it may be torn down or defaced. Many jurisdictions have list revision stations, with personnel who will check a person’s listing on request. The challenge is to confirm registration with minimal inconvenience to voters and without straining the resources available for this purpose.
