Updating the Voter Roll
The term voter roll is synonymous with the list of voters, and is used most often when discussing
a continuous list of voters. The continuous list requires that, after an initial voter list is created,
steps are taken to ensure the regular maintenance of the list. Where voter registration is
compulsory, as it is in Australia, voters may be required to provide updated information to the
election authority within a certain period of time of the change in status (i.e., if they change
address, attain voting age, or gain citizenship). In contexts where voting and registration are not
compulsory, providing updated information is normally necessary for the voter to remain validly
registered.
Assessing Currency
Perhaps the greatest challenge for the continuous list with respect to the three performance
measures of completeness, currency, and accuracy is with currency. The challenge is to ensure
that voters are registered at their place of residence at the time of the election. However, for voters
in voluntary registration systems, the information necessary to change the list, such as a report of a
new address, a name change, or other relevant change, is not sent to the election authorities in
advance of the preparation of the preliminary list, and the voters may be difficult to locate
thereafter.
Assessing Completeness
Even the measure of completeness does not always indicate a high level of performance of
continuous lists. For example in Australia, the percentage of voters who are registered, despite
mandatory registration, is similar to the percentage in Canada, which uses voluntary registration
with enumeration.
Assessing Accuracy
Generally, the continuous list should perform reasonably well on the third performance measure,
accuracy. The long period of time in which errors or recording or transcription can be identified
and corrected suggests that performance should reach quite high levels on this indicator.
Updating the Voters List
Updating information on the voters list can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, voters
could be required to re-register before each election, thereby remaining on the voters list only if
they have confirmed their eligibility. Alternatively, the election authorities could send a voter
registration card to each voter, requesting or requiring them to confirm the accuracy of the data in
order to maintain their registration and eligibility to vote, as in the case in Britain.78
Another method, used in Australia, is to have periodic reviews of the voters list by visiting each
residence in an electoral district to confirm the accuracy of information on the list. The costs
associated with each of these methods varies considerably. One of the least costly methods places
the onus on voters to contact election authorities to re-register. While this method may result in a
reasonably high registration rate, it is likely to suffer from particularly acute difficulties with
currency, as many voters will simply not bother with completing and submitting the forms unless
accompanied by mandatory registration provisions. The procedure of sending a voter registration
card to each voter may be equally or even somewhat more cost effective, because of higher costs
in mailing the voter registration form, and also in processing costs, because the election authority is
required to process the data it receives, thus bearing additional personnel costs.
The relative cost effectiveness of registration by mail has led to a significant shift globally in the
use of mail-out techniques for census information. Under this procedure, the percentage of
registered voters should increase significantly, a factor that can be viewed as mitigating the costs of
the system. The most expensive method is door-to-door list maintenance, in which the election
authority contacts all households in person. This procedure increases personnel costs
considerably, because a large number of personnel will be required for the door-to-door campaign
to verify the accuracy of the list. These costs can be controlled by implementing a door-to-door
campaign in a highly staggered manner, visiting homes in only selected communities each
registration period.79
However, this latter procedure suffers from many of the same problems as door-to-door
enumeration using the periodic list. Changing lifestyle patterns, and growing concerns over
personal safety and security are resulting in much lower success rates in contacting voters through
door-to-door visits. Thus, with a high cost and declining effectiveness, there is merit in
considering the alternatives to door-to-door campaigns.
Newly Eligible Voters
Voters who have recently gained eligibility through age or by satisfying citizenship or residency
requirements, should find it easy to have themselves included on the voter list. Although there is
variation from country to country in the manner and timing for the registration of newly eligible
voters, there are considerable advantages in facilitating their early registration. Participation in
elections, and by implication in voter registration as well, should be viewed as a responsibility as
well as one of the significant benefits of citizenship. An early registration following the fulfilment
of eligibility requirements helps reinforce the importance of participation in democratic decision
making as a key element of citizenship. Therefore, user-friendly registration procedures and ease
of access to voter registration forms, such as their placement in post offices, voter registration
centres, motor vehicle registration offices, and other public offices, will greatly facilitate early
registration among the newly eligible.
Use of Mail-in Forms
The most common procedure for updating the voters list is to provide mail-in registration forms
that are easily available, for example, by placing the form in the telephone directory. The return
rate for such forms is when they are accompanied by pre-addressed, postage paid envelopes, or
more commonly, when this information is included on the second side of the voter registration
card. The costs for such mail-in procedures, while low in relation to other methods of voter
registration, are not trivial. For example, in a report to the U.S. Congress on the impact of the
Motor Voter Act, the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) noted that postal costs have
become a major item in each registrar's budget. The commission recommended the creation of a
new class of postage to help reduce the costs of mail-in registration forms.80
Deletions from the Voters List
Whereas additions to the voters list often are made in response to requests from newly eligible
voters, deletions from the list usually are not. The reasons for this are fairly obvious. When
deletion from the list arises from the death of the voter, criminal conviction, or emigration, the
individuals simply are not available to request a change in registration status. Although their family
members (if any exist) may be in a position to submit the appropriate form, it is not surprising that
they often fail to do so.
Consequently, information from a variety of other sources is often used in the deletion of voters
from the list. These data can be incorporated into the voter list maintenance procedures for the
removal of those who no longer qualify. In the case of the death of the voter, this could include
data on vital statistics from government offices that maintain information on the deceased, review
of obituaries in newspapers by election administration officials, information received from funeral
homes, from relatives, and other sources. Data on criminal convictions normally are provided by
the courts, and on mental competence by the health authorities. The report of the FEC includes a
discussion on a variety of data sources for list maintenance.
