The applicable electoral system and its enabling legislation in each jurisdiction will largely determine what data has to be included in a voter register and what the voter register will be used for.
Voter registration qualifications and disqualifications will generally be set down by legislation. The method of applying for registration will include the steps an applicant must take to prove eligibility for registration. Such steps could include completing a form with personal details and a declaration of eligibility, as well as providing proof of eligibility by, for example, providing EMBs with relevant identity documents such as birth certificates, passports or immigration documents.
The electoral system will also (in most cases) define the process for the division of the jurisdiction into electoral districts. This requirement indicates that voter registers must have a geographic element that is capable of being used to determine which districts voters are registered for.
Again, these requirements indicate the desirability of electronically capturing and manipulating voter register data.
The following topics in this section cover various aspects of determining the relationship of the voter register to the electoral system.
