Original Question:

This question is posted by ACE on behalf of an ACE user.

In France, voters may register and vote in a municipality other than their municipality of residence, as long as they have been a taxpayer for at least five years. I am looking for examples of other countries with similar practices. What are the conditions a voter must meet to register outside their municipality of residence? Is this a common practice across countries?

More broadly, I would like to know if and how voters' residence is defined during registration: is it done by the State (if so, on what basis- fiscal or postal files, census, etc.) or by the voter (if so, with what information- taxes, bills, etc.)?

Summary of responses:

Most practitioners gave examples of countries in which voters must change their official residency before being allowed to vote in a municipality other than where they reside. Conditions for transferring municipalities varied by country. In two countries, voters could cast their ballots anywhere in the country (under certain conditions).

In Guyana, Nigeria, Colombia, and Venezuela, voters must apply for a transfer before voting in a constituency or polling area other than where they reside. In Nigeria and Guyana, voters must apply to the EMB for a transfer during a specified window before the election. If the transfer is approved, the voter can no longer vote in the constituency of their original residence. In Guyana, residency is defined as where the voter spends most of their time and is likely to return to. Registration is conducted by the EMB, which continuously updates a national register.

In Colombia, the window in which voters may change their registered polling place is established by regulation on the creation and updating of the national electoral census. The ability to change registration is open to abuse, and the body in charge of the census and voter movement is not always successful in preventing politicians’ moving voters. This movement is called “Electoral Transhumance” (Transhumencia Electoral). A brief history of the topic and relevant regulations can be found here. In Venezuela, voters can request a change in residence through the internet. Once the request has been processed and the registry is updated, the voter will be able to vote in the new district only. It is possible for voters to move but keep their original area of residency if they do not request a change. The registry is based on fiscal archives.

In Kenya and Sweden, voters may vote outside their municipality of residence. In Kenya, voters are allowed to register anywhere in the country, regardless of in which electoral area they reside, as long as they present a national ID card or a passport. Where they vote is not determined by fiscal, postal, or census information. This has led to some people and groups mobilizing voters to register in areas with elections those people and groups intend to contest. During advance voting in Sweden, which begins 18 days before election day, registered voters can vote anywhere in the country. More information is available at the Swedish Election Authority website.

Contributing Members:

• Francisco Barrera 
• José Manuel Da Silva Mendes
• Charles Obot
• Lameck Ochieng Radigo
• Erik Asplund
• Vishnu Persaud

En Colombia, existe la normatividad para la conformacion y actualizacion del “Censo Nacional Electoral”, que es el registro de votantes, para lo cual con los archivos existentes se abren periodos de tiempo, donde la persona cambia de lugar de votacion (inscripciones), en cualquiera de niveles administrativos del territorio (Zona, Puesto, Municipio, Departamento o Pais), “Division Politica”, para la votacion.

La OE, define la modalidad y los controles, para evitar movimientos de votantes, no siempre son efectivos y al final del ejercicio se ve mediante las demandas de políticos perdedores, que se desplazaron electores, por conveniencia o por negocio electoral, en Colombia los movimientos de electores son llamados “Trashumancia Electoral” y es por el tema que se hacen las demandas.

Le adjunto link donde la OE de Colombia hace un recuento del tema y de algunas normas para mantener el “Censo de Votacion”: https://wsr.registraduria.gov.co/Historia-del-censo-electoral-en.html

Estimado Russell Bloom

En Venezuela, el cambio de domicilio es solicitado por el Elector; solo notificando su cambio de residencia; por internet ( sin aporte de otra información o base) al O.E.; en el tiempo previsto o acordado, antes de una elección y el O.E. lo actualizará en el Registro Electoral y solo podrá ejercer su voto allí (puede suceder que un elector mantenga su lugar de sufragio; a pesar de haber cambiado de residencia en una ó en varias ocasiones; porque no há solicitado ese cambio).

En Venezuela no existe la TRANSHUMANCIA ELECTORAL y el registro domiciliario basados en archivos fiscales; lo que ocasiona que se presta a "CAMBIOS DE MUNICIPIOS A CONVENIENCIA"  

Aunque lo aconsejable y recomendable es; en su Municipio: única forma de defender, trabajar y expresarse por su comunidad y que el RESULTADO SEA FIEL A LAS DECISIONES Y A LO EXPRESADO POR LOS HABITANTES DE ESAS REGIONES   

In Nigeria, registered voters can only vote in the polling unit/area where they registered. However, the electoral law allows transfer of voter registration details after formal application to that effect had been submitted to the electoral management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that must be done prior to election.

Estimado Russell Bloom

En Venezuela, el cambio de domicilio es solicitado por el Elector; solo notificando su cambio de residencia; por internet ( sin aporte de otra información o base) al O.E.; en el tiempo previsto o acordado, antes de una elección y el O.E. lo actualizará en el Registro Electoral y solo podrá ejercer su voto allí (puede suceder que un elector mantenga su lugar de sufragio; a pesar de haber cambiado de residencia en una ó en varias ocasiones; porque no há solicitado ese cambio).

In Kenya an elector is allowed to register wherever he or she pleases whether or not he or she resides in that electoral area so long as he/she presents the required document which is a national identity card or a passport. It is not determined by fiscal, postal or census information. Again one is allowed to change his/her voting area prior to elections by way of making an application to change his/her voting area to the EMB if he/she so wishes. The provision allowing people to change their voting area if they so wish has yielded an interesting outcome whereby people seeking elective positions mobilize groups of people to go and register in areas they intend to contest so as to secure majority votes. 

Registered voters can vote in advance at a voting location anywhere in Sweden. Advance voting begins 18 days before Election Day. For more information visit the Election Authority website via: https://www.val.se/servicelankar/other-languages/english-engelska/voting-in-advance.html 

In Guyana, the EMB is mandated statutorily to register all eligible persons through a system of Continuous Registration.  This leads through the updating of the National Register of Registrants from which the voters lists are extracted based on the criteria for voting. 

The relevant laws do not permit voting outside the constituency of residence of any voter.  In the case of a voter desirous of voting in a municipality of constituency other than the one in which he/she resides, then he/she will have to apply for a transfer, which basically is a change of residence, prior to the election and during the window of opportunity provided for this to be done.  Once the transfer is effected, the voter will not be allowed to vote in the municipality/constituency of the first address.

Presidency is defined as the place where one spends most of his/her time and where he/she is likely to return.