In most electoral systems, voters must register before they can cast a ballot. Unless a civil registry is used as the basis for a voters list, registration is the responsibility of each voter and the electoral management body. The electoral agency provides the means for registration, but voters usually must take the initiative to register and must provide proof of their eligibility.
Integrity problems in voter registration occur in almost all systems, not only newly emerging democracies. Integrity in voter registration is critical to free and fair elections; it is facilitated by a well-designed process, monitored by political parties and civil society, and including enforcement measures.
To ensure integrity in voter registration, the electoral management body must develop a registration system that:
- does not unfairly exclude certain segments of the population through the eligibility requirements;
- enables any qualified person who wishes to register to do so; and
- produces an accurate, reliable and up-to-date voters list.
Defining Eligibility Requirements
The right to vote is one of the foundations of a democratic system of government. However, it is usually considered a privilege of citizenship and, as a result, every country has set eligibility requirements for voting. The requirements generally include citizenship status, a minimum age and sometimes a residence requirement. Voters residing abroad during elections are commonly placed in a separate category. Sometimes certain citizens may lose their right to vote—for example, residents of a psychiatric institution or convicted criminals, including those found guilty of electoral offences. Electoral integrity may be at risk if certain groups of citizens are prevented from registering by the addition of discriminatory eligibility conditions based on race, language or any other minority status. The legal framework must clearly define the eligibility requirements to safeguard fair and equal treatment for all citizens.
Ensuring that Eligible Citizens Can Register
Eligible citizens can vote only if they have registered. Ensuring that every citizen who wants to register is able to do so is another integrity challenge. In developing countries registration presents logistical problems, and in most systems there may be problems if eligible citizens try to register but cannot because of access difficulties.
There are different voter registration systems. Some systems use the civil registry as the basis for the voters list, with everyone being registered automatically. For example, Denmark uses its computerized national civil registry to produce a computerized voters list. Ireland uses a list of voters prepared annually by the county councils and county borough corporations. Using a civil registry can reduce problems arising from citizens’ varying ability to register and can help ensure that every eligible citizen is registered to vote.
Other systems place the responsibility for registration on citizens themselves. They register in either a permanent registry (requiring one-time enrolment) or a periodic registry (requiring re enrolment at fixed intervals). The permanent registry is less burdensome for voters but must be regularly updated by electoral administrators to drop the names of voters who have moved away or died. With new technology, Canada has found that keeping a permanent computerized list is less expensive, time-consuming and labour-intensive than the previous system of registering voters for each federal election.
Access to registration sites may be a problem for voters. To reduce the danger of fraudulent registration, some countries require voters to register in person. This requirement may prove disproportionately hard for residents of rural or remote areas, or persons with limited mobility.
That is why some countries have adopted special rules making voter registration easier. Provisions may allow persons with a physical disability to register by proxy. In New Zealand, for example, persons who have a physical disability or are sick can ask someone else to fill out, date and sign the voter registration application. The person providing this assistance must be a registered voter and have power of attorney. [1]
To make it easier for larger numbers of voters to register, some countries allow registration by mail and on-line. These methods involve their own integrity problems.
There is usually a fixed deadline for registration before election day; this enables electoral administrators to determine the number of ballots needed and plan election logistics. The deadline may also give rise to integrity issues. Voters with access problems may find it difficult to register on time. Some countries, such as Canada, have addressed this issue by allowing voters to register on election day. Others widely publicize the registration deadline to make citizens aware of it.
All these measures allow for the registration of as many eligible voters as possible. For voters lists to be accurate and reliable, other safeguards are needed to prevent fraud and guarantee that only eligible voters are registered.
The registration process produces voters lists that are usually available for public inspection. The publication of verifiable voters lists is a measure that helps maintain voter confidence in the integrity of the system. However, making private information public can raise privacy issues.
NOTES
[1] Elections New Zealand, Everything You Need to Know About Enrolling to Vote.
