Continuous Register Requires Maintenance of Ongoing List
One of the key differences between the periodic voters list and the continuous list is the
requirement in the latter for the ongoing storage and maintenance of voter registration data. The
election administration authority must have in place an appropriate system to store registration data
securely, in terms of the physical source documents and the other formats in which the information
may be maintained, and both the personnel and the expertise to maintain and update all files as
needed for their continued validity.
Computerized Files
The maintenance of a continuous list approach can be facilitated by the use of computing
hardware and software to manage the collection, and updating and validating the voters list on a
regular and ongoing basis, although a manual system is possible as well. There are a number of
software options that can be developed when using computerized records for the processing of
registration data, but they tend to be quite expensive. Many countries have found that is possible
to arrange for technical assistance in developing appropriate computerized registration systems, but
again these generally imply expensive procurements.
An ongoing responsibility of the election authority is to ensure that the continuous list remains
complete, current, and accurate. This is normally achieved through the application of a variety of
information updating techniques. These include mail-out and mail-back registration forms for
those on the continuous register, periodic intensive updating campaigns, which make more salient
the requirement to report changes in electoral status, and cross-referencing of electoral data with
other data sources, such as drivers licencing records, mortality statistics, marriage, and divorce data
from civil authorities, and criminal records from court reports.
Voters List Maintenance: The Case of Mexico
In a report on voter registration in Mexico, Juan Manuel Herrero Alvarez, Mexico: The Electoral Register, Carlos Almada of the Federal Electoral
Institute (IFE) described the process by which the voters list is updated on an annual basis. Each
year, IFE conducts an intense updating campaign for two months, during which citizens request
changes of address, or data correction, and new photo-identity cards are issued.
