The CEC should publish the final voter register ahead of election day. The voter register for early voting by members of the security forces should be made available, with appropriate security safeguards, to election stakeholders. The legal requirement to allow for inspection and challenge of preliminary voter registers should be complied with on all occasions.

The law should clearly specify the period for voter registration and verification, and give sufficient time for these processes.

Legal provisions should be introduced to ensure rigour (supported by specific documentation) and transparency in making changes to the voter register. In case of duplicate registration, the later registration should be the one that is valid.

The existing voter lists issued by the HNEC could serve as the base on which to consolidate the production of an electronic voter database. Consideration could be given to establishing an electronic voter registration updating system which could be led by the EMB’s district offices, with closing cut off dates clearly stipulated in the law. More time for challenges to the voter lists could be allocated. The voters’ electronic database could be correlated with the population census in order to take account of specific population trends and movements.

A centralised and computerised national voter register should be created, with sufficient safeguards and crosschecking procedures to prevent multiple registrations. The possibility of introducing a permanent register could be assessed. An audit of the electoral register could also be considered. All political parties should be provided with copies of the register, including higher education and military registration, well in advance of Election Day. To enable greater inclusiveness and accuracy, the period for voter registration and the public display of the register could be extended by at least four weeks.

In preparation for future elections, the NEC should consider implementing the following practices:
i. the introduction of voter cards with the voters’ photographs.
ii. widely publicising the display period of the draft electoral register; it should be available at multiple sites within a constituency, and the process of correction should be accessible and efficient.
iii. giving all voters clear information on their individual registration details, including electoral roll serial number and allocated polling station and location. The obligation of the authorities to provide this information cannot be delegated to political parties.
iv. voters should be made fully aware of their rights and opportunities through an extensive voter education programme conducted ahead of the registration display period and election day, particularly targeting groups traditionally marginalised from the process, such as women and young people.

No further elections should be held without renewed efforts to ensure the accuracy of the existing voter register which is an essential safeguard against fraud as well as a key tool for efficient election administration. In the short-term and in view of 2010 Legislative elections, this could be partially provided by the completion of the processing of outstanding data from the 2009 Voter Register Update to eliminate incorrect and multiple entries. For the sake of inclusivity, an additional update should be conducted to register citizens who will reach the age of majority between the last update and the next elections.

Essential - Establishment of a detailed calendar for the verification/update/information period of the voter register by electors well in advance of Election Day. This would allow voters to make addition and changes after the official call for the elections. After the verification period the new NEC should undertake the necessary corrections and display the voter register again at cantonal or parish levels at least 15 days prior to Election Day.
Addressed to - National Assembly; NEC.
Possible Improvements Suggested - Amendment to the Election Law.
EC Support/Projects - EC should be ready to offer legal and electoral expertise if requested by Ecuadorian authorities.
Timeline - At least two years before the next electoral cycle.

Essential - Responsibility for issuing ID Cards should lie with the CNE.
Addressed to - Government; Legislative Branch.
Possible Improvements Suggested - The CNE should also execute the carnetización gratuita programme.
Timeline - Upon establishment of new Tribunal Supremo Electoral.

Essential - Provisions should be made to ensure that out-ofcountry voters are able to register and vote.
Addressed to - CNE; Legislative Branch.
Possible Improvements Suggested - The CNE and the Legislative Branch must take effective measures to ensure that all persons entitled to vote are able to exercise that right.
Timeline - In time for the next elections.

Desirable - Provision to abolish the automatic removal of voters from the register should they not vote.
Possible Improvements Suggested - In line with international best practices, all persons entitled to vote should be able to exercise their right to vote. Given the fact that the new voter register will be more transparent and efficient, the CNE should only impose fines on those who do not vote in a particular election and not remove them from the voter register as this will lead to confusion given that they will have a permanent voters card and it will be difficult to cancel this card should they not vote.
Timeline - To be implemented once new voter register is in place.

Create a more reliable voter register

The final voters list should be posted by casilla in the ten days preceding
the election to allow voters to confirm both their inclusion on the list and
the location of their casilla. This should also help political parties and
observers determine if there is any systematic exclusion of voters from the
list.

Alternatively, consider eliminating voter registration entirely and allow either a)voting on the basis of tribal registration or b)day-of-election registration

Explore ways to encourage tribal members to notify the tribal register of name/address changes; establish shorter deadlines before elections; allow anyone whose 18th birthday falls within the period up to election day to register to vote

The voter registration process should be upgraded from manual to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), already used in many countries in Africa, especially in post-conflict environments, to facilitate and speed up registration through a possible active and passive process, whereby citizens go to places of registration and brigades (brigadas de recenseamento) visit their places of residence. The voter registration process for the 2008 legislative election, however accepted by all political parties and stakeholders, showed a very low participation and motivation of citizens, especially youngsters (3.8 percent), in comparison to same exercises in other countries in the area. The same register was used for the 2009 presidential election.

In line with international best practices, the minimum voting age should be the age of majority. The Council of Ministers and Parliament should pursue the recent adoption of a project of law aimed at amending the Constitution to reduce suffrage to 18 years.

The provision for out-of-country voting in the 2008 Election Law should be implemented in time for the next parliamentary electoral process.

The law should clearly ensure that pre-trial detainees do not lose their right to vote.

Regulations should be issued governing the registration of voters specifying the procedures for challenges and complaints regarding voter registration, deadlines and the competent authority to deal with these complaints. In order to ensure consistency and simplification of the process, the Electoral Commission is advised to establish a body such as a District Registration Review Committee to deal with complaints, whose decision can be appealed to the Magistrate Court as it is physically closer to citizens.

An adequate and permanent mechanism for update and maintenance of the voter register should be established combining efforts from the civil registries and the courts in order to allow the voter register to be cleaned from deceased and ineligible voters.

Essential - In order to avoid changes of residence from one municipality to another for purely electoral reasons, the EU EOM recommends that, especially for municipal elections, effective proof of changes of residence be demanded of persons seeking to change their residence in the Register.
Addressed to - Legislative Assembly, TSE, Municipal Offices.
Possible Improvements Suggested - The proof may be obtained through simple procedures, such as requesting a utility bill, a lease agreement, a contract of employment or the school registration of the household’s children.

The annual update of voter registration conducted in the month of January should include the citizens of 17 years of age but who will become 18 years of age before the next annual update, to ensure that those turning 18 between the registration cut-off date and the date of elections will be registered and allowed to vote.

Essential - The CNE should define new polling station locations and begin an information campaign in advance of the next voter registration update. Voters should be informed that they will have to vote where they are registered at the next election and to check and amend their registration location during the update.
Addressed to - CNE & CIPE.
Possible Improvements Suggested - The update period may have to be extended to cater for demand.
Timeline - In next six months.

Authorities should consider various options for allowing voters to vote where they reside. Voter registration could be delinked from the civil registry, giving voters the chance to register to vote away from their place of civil registration. Alternatively, an absentee voting system could be considered that would allow voters to apply to vote in another constituency.