The Question

This question was posted on behalf of Jon Fraenkel, member of the ACE Practitioners' Network

Dear ACE Practitioners,

I'm struck by the present problems in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with election rolls (general election currently underway) and the previous experience in that country. PNG's electoral roll is always full of errors, including both massive over-counts and significant under-counts. Similar problems exist in neighbouring Melanesian countries such as Solomon islands and Vanuatu, if on a less extreme scale. In a largely rural society with a relatively weak state, and with a state which at the local administrative level is far from politically nuetral, it is unlikely that electoral rolls can be completed in a reasonably representative way. Every election across this region encounters significant problems with people being turned away at polling stations because their names cannot be found, for one reason or another, on the electoral rolls.

Most elections are conducted on the basis of electoral rolls that are significantly larger than would be likely based on usage of censuses of population to estimate approximate voting age populations. I recall a colleague from IFES saying a few years ago that their organization always recommended list PR systems for Africa simply because they could be run effectively without an electoral roll, i.e. using the inking of the finger as the deterrent to multiple voting. However, PNG is a single-member district based Alternative vote system, and so faces the additional (perhaps minor in comparison) problem of potential movement between constituencies in absence of an electoral roll.
 
My question is multi-barrelled. Which countries run elections without an electoral roll, and how do they do it? More specifically, are there any countries with single-member district-based systems that run elections without an electoral roll, and how do they do it?

Summary of responses
Several examples are given of elections run without an electoral roll. Latvia, using Proportional Representation and with five constituencies, does not use an electoral roll for its parliamentary elections. A voter can vote anywhere and provides their passport by way of identification, which is then stamped at the polling station to prevent multiple voting.

Another reply reports that there was no electoral roll in the case of East Timor in 2007 and that indelible ink was used against multiple voting. For provincial elections in Afghanistan in 2009, voters identified themselves with voter cards from previous elections instead of a voters’ list being used. Cards were then punched at the polling station, as well as voters receiving indelible ink. The South African election of 1994 is also cited as having been run without an electoral roll.

The only example given for a single-member district-based system is that of the state of North Dakota in the United States. While there is a list of voters (based on previous elections), there is no prerequisite to register ahead of elections. The feasibility of this approach is attributed to the “rural nature of the state and its communities.”

Without electoral rolls in single-member constituencies, one expert notes that it would be nigh on impossible to prevent voters from voting in a constituencies where they do not reside, in an attempt to manipulate the results.

 

Examples of related ACE Articles and Resources
Encyclopaedia:
• Overview of Voter Registration

 

External Resources
• The Central Election Commission of Lativa

• North Dakota …. The Only State Without Voter Registration  

 

Names of contributors
1. Elmars Svekis
2. Zsolt Bartfai
3. David Arabambi
4. Harry Neufeld
5. Velko Miloev
6. Manogran Paramasivam
7. Bucumi Julius

In re first part of the question: Latvia does not have electoral roll for parliamentary elections. Yet, it has proportional representation system with five constituencies. Any voter can vote in any constituency. Multiple voting is deterred by allowing only one document - the passport -  to be used in the elections. It is stamped with a unique stamp for each elections on a pre-designate page. Once stamped, the passport cannot be used for voting in another place.

 

The fact that voters can vote in any constituency creates situations where the voter turnout can reach 105% or more of the voters registered in these constituencies (based on the data from the civil register). This, however, has not been a problem as this is in line with the law and there is wide political acceptance of the elections administration. More info can be found here: http://web.cvk.lv/pub/public/28361.html.

 

If I am not wrong, in 2007 in East-Timor there were not electoral rolls as well, and inking represented the only safeguard against double voting. However, by using ink only the double voting might be excluded but another important eligibility criteria, namely if the voter has reached the age (e.g. 18 years) still remains to be justified.

Of what use is the electoral roll? It is an important source of planning adequately for an election. It consists of the names of eligible voters and their indentities. It can check multiple voting if properly and carefully prepared. Is there no other document that can serve the purposes above? Definitely there are. National Identity Card, passport, birth certificate and driver licence are good documents for the purposes mentioned above. But to be able to use any of the four successfully for elections, networking and related computer programming must be considered to prevent multiplicity of the same names and identities. Since each of the four is not primarily and solely for elections,the politicians' manipulation of the number of registered voters will be significantly reduced. Consequently, election is possible without an electoral roll in a single-member district or any other system.

Voter registration, and the creation of voters lists in advance of an election, are generally central administrative and political components associated with the conduct of elections that use the single member plurality system still common in North America and the UK.  The notable exception is North Dakota, and the Secretary of State there seems quite proud of that fact.  Evidence of that pride and an explanation of the arrangements are available online at: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/pdfs/Portals/votereg.pdf  Note that a list of voters (who voted before) still exists, but the requirement for registration in advance is removed.  The rural nature of the state and its communities is frequently referenced as the only reason this approach remains administratively workable and politically acceptable.

Dear David Arabambi,

Please, allow me to add something to your comments for further consideration. In Hungary in  the SMCs with Two-Round System the elections are valid if more than 50% of the voters voted. Many by-elections have proved that it is difficult to reach this threshold. For the purpose of establishing this threshold you must have something proving the number of voters: this can be the VL. If you add to this that without VL voters could move in the country to that SMC where their party's candidate have a chance to win (while they do not live there and they do not have any connection to that constituency), there is a plan in front of you how to manipulate the elections. In other words, it is not possible to disconnect the question of the necessity of VL from the electoral system used. VL is a safeguard against election fraud. 

Best, Zsolt

Afghanistan elections to provincial councils in 2009 were run without an electoral roll. (Single Non-Transferable Vote system.)
Since 2003 several elections and voter registration efforts had taken place, including a VR update in 2008-2009. Still, it was assessed that the data collected could not serve for reasonably good voters lists. The solution was to enable voters to identify themselves with voters cards issued for earlier elections or from 2008 – 2009 and to cast a ballot at any polling station within their province. Indelible ink was used and voters cards are punched at the polling station. (In case of an older, already punched card, it was to be perforated at a specified new location.)
I can’t recall major problems connected to the lack of voters rolls other than those about planning and delivery of ballots and other materials. In any case, the attention was drawn to other, not necessarily VR related, forms of large scale electoral fraud. In 2009 simple lists of those who actually voted, compiled at the polling station, were eventually useful in investigating fraud.
Perhaps, somebody could share experience from the Afghanistan 2011 parliamentary elections.

In a first-past-the-post system with the country divided into numerouis constituencies, having an electoral roll is necessary.  How good the roll is depends on the the country's national registration system.  Where a central department registers all births and deaths of its citizens and issues identity documents, then these documents can be used by the Election Commission to register those who have reached the eligibility age, i.e., to vote.  The accuracy of the electoral roll depends on the accuracy of the information contained in the records of the national registration department.  Number of electors cannot exceed that of the total population and the number of voters cannot exceed the total number in the electoral roll and for each constituency as a separate electoral roll is created for each constituency using the principal electoral roll.  So the basic requirement is a unit personal identification document for all citizens.

Hi, this is the point of view and experience from Burundi.                                                                                                                                 

1. The country which organized elections without roll is South Africa in 1994. They are the best indicated to brief you all problems the Electoral commission met.

2. Be aware that in such circumstances of your country, you are at the door of the conflict or war if you do not handle the roll carefully!!!

3. Holding elections without a roll is too risky especially when the voters, the sociaty, the stakeholders do not have the same objectives, the same vision, at least the maximum of them.

3. In South Africa, People, Blacks and Whites were tired of war and decided to hold elections as a way to find peace. Many mistakes or errors which were not substantial were easily tolerated. 

4. You could find that are voters with 2 or 3  IDs, but the number of voters who cheated was not significant and the process was declared free and fair. The institution to deliver IDs must be trusted by people. This is a challenge.

5. In your country, the situation may not the same. 

6. Therefore, pay attention with the idea of holding elections without a roll.

7. To avoid war and have a trusted roll, use the following methods as we did in Burundi during 2010 elections:

- Intensify the communication with all stakeholders to stand for peace and free and fair elections.

- Invite stakeholders, especially political parties to give their contribution during voter registration. They have to sent their representative agents(of the same area) to see if the who come to register for vote meet the legal requirements. Some times , in case of doubt, you verify with them in the civil roll that for example the required age of vote is met before register those peoples. Punish who is fond infringing the law. Administration at local level must be involved because they know their people.

- After registration, you have data base to print and post it for several days , and invite people to go to see if they are on the list and denounce the ones they may know to be on the list illegally.

- In this conditions, where stakeholders are involved, the roll will not be rejected or contested.

- Do not forget to take security measures for ex. long lasting indelible ink, issue very secured voting cards, using the polling agents of the area who know well most of the voters...)

Good luck!!!