Voter and Civic Education Depends on Registration Method
The size of the civic education programme implemented that accompanies the development of a
civil registry depends on the type of registration method used. Enumeration normally requires a
less-extensive citizen education procedure than registration based on a registration centre, or for a
mail-in registration procedure. Because, under an enumeration system, contact with citizens is
initiated by the civil authorities, there is a less pressing need to inform the citizenry through
massive advertising of the registration drive.
However, with a registration centre form of registration, or when mail-in registration is used, it is
essential that citizens are made aware of the requirements for registration, and of the dates and
location of the registration drive. When mobile registration centres are used, it is particularly
important to inform citizens of the dates during which the mobile registration centre will be in their
vicinity.
The key points are the importance of informing citizens of any new requirements and of the
sanction imposed for noncompliance. Citizens also need to know how compliance or
noncompliance affects their civic and/or democratic rights. For example, countries that use civil
registries normally make inclusion on the registry mandatory, subject to a fine for failure to
register. Furthermore, it is common that failure to be listed on the civil registry removes voting
rights of the citizen, and there is typically no mechanism to gain voting eligibility after the cut-off
date preceding the election.
The magnitude of a civic education drive depends on the country's previous experience with the
collection of information about its citizens. When there is a tradition of maintaining some civic
records, the civic education programme is likely to be quite modest. But when important changes
to the registration system have recently been adopted, or when there has not been significant
experience with registration or with democratic elections, a more elaborate and salient procedure
should be adopted.
Enumeration
When enumeration is used, the civic education programme must identify the dates of enumeration,
particularly because enumerations often take place during brief time periods. In countries where
literacy is high and a good postal system exists, the civic education programme should use
postcards that the data collector can leave at homes where the resident is not present.. The
postcard can explain the procedures that will be used subsequently (whether there be a return visit
and when, or a telephone number to call to arrange a time). The other key element of civic
education programmes under enumeration is security. Because data collectors are visiting homes,
it is necessary to ensure that this opportunity is not used by persons who are not official data
collectors to gain illegal access to a home, while at the same time ensuring that data collectors do
have sufficient access to complete their work. It is important to consider the type of identification
that data collectors will carry.
Registration Centres
Civic education using registration centres typically emphasizes the importance of citizens'
participation in the civic life of the community and, in view of the role of the civil registry in
identifying eligible voters, their role also in the democratic electoral process. It also should include
information on the dates of registration and the location of registration centres. Citizens should
know what material, if any, they need to bring to the registration centre, such as proof of identity,
proof of address, and proof of citizenship. It is also very useful to provide information on whether
voters can register family members as well as themselves, and what to do in the event that one
cannot attend the registration centre during one of the advertised dates and times of operation.
When registration takes place shortly after birth, the registration centre can be used to periodically
update the registration records. Additional registration may be required at a certain age (16 or 18,
for example), at which time an identification card can be issued. Furthermore, there may be
requirements to re-register on a periodic basis throughout one's lifetime, updating an identification
card in the process.
Media Involvement
The civic education programme should involve the major media outlets in the publication of
registration information. This may involve a combination of paid advertising and free public
service announcements. It is possible to engage the help and services of community organisations
and nongovernmental organisations in advertising the importance and logistics of civil registration.
For newly democratizing societies, foreign-based nongovernmental organisations can play a
particularly helpful role in civil registration drives.
In developing an effective media and public awareness campaign, it is important to highlight that
registration is mandatory (with a civil registry it invariably is) and that registration must take place
in order for the citizen to maintain eligibility for a host of civic rights and obligations.
