The Purpose of the Preliminary List
Once the registration data has been gathered on the voter registration forms, the production of a
preliminary voters list is possible. The purpose of the preliminary voters list is to provide a list
of electors to political parties and candidates for their campaign use, and to provide the election
authority with a preliminary estimate of the number of voters in each geographic area who are
eligible to vote. This further enables the development of detailed management strategies for the
creation of polling districts. It also provides the possibility for voters to check to see whether
they are properly listed on the preliminary voters list to make claims and objections for changing
their entries.
In the past, preliminary voters lists typically were posted for public view, but this practice has
been discontinued in most countries. These lists are usually no longer posted for public view
due to concerns for privacy. Some form of verification (such as a postcard) generally is given
(or mailed) to voters to confirm their registration and the location of the poll.
The preliminary list ensures that voters are able to confirm that they are duly registered to vote
in the next electoral event (e.g., election, referendum or plebiscite) and indicates to voters
whether they need to contact the registrar's office to request an adjustment to their listing. The
list also allows political parties and candidates to determine if there are fraudulent entries on the
list and provides them with an opportunity to encourage their partisans who may not have
registered to do so.
If no requests for change are forthcoming then the preliminary voters list becomes the final list
of electors. This is unlikely, however, given the high probability that some voters will have had
no contact with registrars in the initial round. More likely, it will serve as the basis to assess the
performance of the registration process for accuracy, currency and completeness.
The preliminary voters list also serves at least two other purposes. It provides parties with a list
of voters in a poll, precinct or electoral district to contact for support prior to the availability of
the final list. And it serves as a basis in some countries for calculating a candidate's or party's
financial entitlements (if state financing is available for parties), as well as expenditure limits
during the campaign itself.
Political Party Review of the Preliminary Voters List
The preliminary voters list is normally made available to and reviewed by political parties who
provide additional verification of the quality of the list. Political parties usually have a vested
interest in reviewing the preliminary voters list and to confirm its accuracy. This is a crucial
step in the voter registration process for two reasons. First, the use of open and transparent
procedures is a key element of free and fair elections. By providing generous access to the
preliminary voters list to political parties, the election administration is making an important
contribution to the transparency of the electoral process. Transparency helps ensure no
important information is kept secret. Second, election administrators usually for comprehensive
voter registration information. Parties often are able to make an important contribution to
improving the quality of the voters list by providing updates and corrections to the information,
and therefore can make a positive contribution to the ability of election administrators to
successfully develop a complete, current and accurate list of electors.
The need to incorporate external checks on the list must be balanced by concerns over privacy.
Many privacy issues have been raised in the U.S. with respect to voter registration information
and procedures. Some persons, such as judges, police officers, or people whose safety may be at
risk from an abusive former spouse or partner, may have their names suppressed from the public
rolls for reasons of personal safety. In some states in the U.S., such as California, much of the
information on the rolls is not available to so-called 'third parties,' that is, anyone other than the
election authority or the individual citizen. Most states restrict the display of social security
numbers or other identification; some do not reveal age; and in some cases street address may
not be made available. Further, most states ban commercial use of these lists, other than for
election purposes, to ensure that individuals are not subjected to sales presentations because they
registered to vote.
