Computerization of various components of the voter registration process can provide significant
improvements in terms of cost savings and greatly increased reliability of the data.
Computerization is particularly useful in performing the following tasks:
- initial recording of voter information
- matching voter identity cards, including computerized storage of registration numbers, with
the
voter registry database
- maintaining the continuous list, including distributing to voters a copy of information
currently
on file
- printing copies of preliminary voters lists
- maintaining records of material inventory at local registration offices as well as in the
centralized office
- data entry to revise preliminary voters list
- printing copies of final voters list
- general record keeping and maintenance
- identifying duplicate registrations
- producing statistics on voter registration by geographic area, as well as by gender, age,
etc.
- providing consistency and standards with regard to data shown on voters lists
- providing copies (at low cost and without wasting paper) of the list on diskette, tape, or
CD-ROM to political parties
- keeping an audit trail of the changes made to each voter record, by whom, on the basis of
what
source information, on what data, to which record attributes, etc.
Computerization also presents some disadvantages that should be considered and weighed
against
the advantages for the specific context, including the following:
- protection of privacy and breach of confidentiality
- coupling of the computer hardware (a valuable commodity to thieves), and the voter
registration software and information (generally a non-valuable commodity to thieves). A voters
list that is manually produced normally separates these hardware and information commodities.
For example, the typewriter used to produce the list (i.e., the valuable hardware commodity), is
quite independent of the voters list itself, which exists in printed (typewritten) form. With
computerized lists, however, the information normally is stored electronically, and thus is
inextricably tied to the hardware. If the hardware is stolen, the software and registration
information is lost as well.
- inappropriate sharing of information among agencies of government (for
example, sharing health information and taxation information).
- computer hardware, software, and maintenance comes at a very high cost, requires ongoing
service and replacement, and presupposes a certain electronic infrastructure for the system to
operate efficiently.
Assistance with Computerization
Although there are no definitive off-the-shelf computer programmes for large-scale voter
registration initiatives, election authorities embarking on the task of computerizing the voter
register
do not need to start from scratch. Often, considerable assistance can be obtained from election
authorities in other countries that have successfully implemented a computerization programme.
The key to doing so successfully lies in finding a system with sufficient similarities to one's
needs
that it can be applied with reasonable effectiveness and efficiency.
For example, Albania was able to adapt a voter registration computer system from the European
Union for its registration effort, whereas Barbados adopted the Swedish
model.52
