The Rationale for Election Day Registration
There is some controversy among various democracies about whether voters may register to vote
on election day. With periodic voters lists, in which lists are prepared anew for each electoral
event, names could be omitted from the preliminary and the final voters lists for a number of
commonplace or exceptional reasons. Voters may forget to register. Or they may not realize
they even had to register or were not aware that registration was occurring. Other voters may
have been ill or traveling during the registration period. The decision on whether polling day
registration is allowed normally is expressed in election legislation and not necessarily based on
the status of one elector. There must be clearly defined parameters for the application of the
legislation that allows registration on election day. The legislation should clarify whether
election day registration is allowed, and whether it includes an exceptional or commonplace
reasons.
Concern Over Fraudulent Practices
One key issue in considering election day registration is whether it may significantly increase the
likelihood of voters engaging in fraudulent practices. There are a number of ways in which the
likelihood of fraudulence is decreased to the point there may be little risk involved in allowing
election day registration. These include the following:
- Situations in which all, or essentially all, citizens carry identification, especially with
photos, may present minimal risks for voter fraud. Where the voter's identification can be
established with certainty through photo identification, and voters can confirm they are eligible,
there may be strong case for allowing election day registration.
- When all individuals are assigned to a specific polling station in their community, and they
can either demonstrate or attest to their residency in that community, the risks of voter fraud due
to election day registration may also be minimized.
- Election officials who are employed at the polling place may come from the local area. In
this instance, they may be acquainted with the individual electors who are to vote at that polling
place. Of course, in highly urbanized areas, registration officials may have little familiarity with
local geography or the local population.
- The use of indelible ink to indicate that one has voted, particularly when used in
conjunction with a demonstration of the voter's residency or other verification of eligibility, can
also effectively minimize fraud in election day registrations.
