Election integrity depends on a fair, impartial and transparent process for registering parties. There must be reasonable eligibility criteria, consistent procedures and workable deadlines. A party should be notified in writing whether its application for registration has been accepted or rejected, and the notification should give the reasons for a rejection, as well as information on how to appeal the decision.
Most electoral systems require that political parties seeking to register provide information on their activities, membership and funding sources. This helps ensure the integrity of the process by making it transparent. However, if there are doubts about what information is needed or why, the requirement may raise integrity as well as privacy issues. The task of preparing complex reports may be burdensome, deterring some parties from registering.
Eligibility Requirements
Most electoral systems have established eligibility criteria for party registration. These usually require a party to have enrolled a minimum number of voters as members, or a minimum number of dues-paying members. If the minimum is set too high, it will exclude smaller or newer parties from the process. If it is set too low, it allows registration by parties with frivolous purposes. Other criteria may include a party’s obligation to field a stipulated proportion of women candidates (as in Nepal), or to submit a declaration by the party leader stating that the party’s main goal is to participate in and contribute to the public affairs of the country (as in Canada).
Registration applications usually are accepted only within a specified period. Some registration rules require a deposit; sometimes this is returned to the party if it receives a minimum percentage of the vote in the election. The deposit is required chiefly to ensure that parties applying for registration are serious, but if the amount is set too high it could bar smaller or less affluent parties from participating in an election.
Protecting Personal Information
To register, parties must submit a list of members’ names. The list is checked to make sure that the persons exist and are dues-paying members. In post-conflict or transition countries, supporters—especially of opposition parties—may fear being publicly identified with a particular party for security reasons. Members may also not want to be publicly identified for career, social or other reasons.
In New Zealand, privacy issues are taken very seriously by the Electoral Commission. A party may request the Commission to keep membership information confidential. In general, the Commission does not release this information unless it judges doing so to be in the public interest, in view of its responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the registration process. [1]
Categorizing Political Parties
Some countries categorize political parties when they register or later, when they apply for public funding. They may be categorized by membership size, election success or geographic representation. To maintain integrity, there should be valid reasons for the categorization, such as for the purpose of determining each party’s share of free airtime or public funds for campaigning.
In India, for instance, the Election Commission categorizes each party by how long it has been active and how successful it has been in past elections. The classification determines whether a party is entitled to certain privileges, such as access to electoral lists and free airtime on government-run media outlets, as well as a party symbol. Symbols enable illiterate voters to identify candidates of the party they wish to vote for.
Registering Political Party Logos
Electoral authorities may register party logos, which are printed on the ballot in some countries. There are rules as well for registering logos; usually a party must submit its application before the set deadline and meet formatting requirements (e.g. concerning colour or size).
Logos are important in countries with low literacy rates because they enable voters to identify their candidate or party. For integrity purposes, standards for logos are usually included in the registration guidelines. The standards are intended to prevent discrimination against any party. As with party registration, the electoral authorities must give written notification of rejection of a logo, clearly stating the reasons for the rejection and explaining how to file an appeal.
NOTES
[1] Elections New Zealand, Guide to the Registration of Political Parties and Party Logos, Wellington, 1997, p 7.
