MONITORING ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES IN ELECTORAL PROCESSES
------It is important that monitors understand all manners of populating
the voter database and recognize there will inevitably be some
degree of error in creating the voter list. Database design and
management processes should include "built in" tools to tackle this
issue, but monitors should also look into what steps are taken to
minimize, uncover and correct error.
This section will discuss issues related to the monitoring
technologies used in the creation of the voter list, irrespective of
whether the creation will be a one-time occurrence or continuous or
periodic exercise, or whether it will be a voter-initiated or stateinitiated process. What they all have in common is that the voters'
data are not immediately recorded as electronic records in a central
voter registration database and that fairly complex and sensitive
operations must be used to collect and process these data.
Whether the collection of the data is done by direct or indirect
recording, it is important to determine what type of information is
being captured and whether this reflects the requirements of the
legal framework. If election authorities are collecting data beyond
what is required by the legal framework, this must be properly
justified or discontinued. If election authorities are collecting data
that will be shared with other governmental institutions, this should
be disclosed.
Direct Recording:
Direct recording involves creating an electronic voter record at the
moment and location when the voter (or his or her proxy) submits the
data to the election officials in accordance with the law and
regulations. In direct recording, voters do not fill out a form that will
later be entered into the voter database by scanning or data entry in
some remote location. Rather, their data is captured directly at the
registration point using electronic equipment.
Development of the System. Observation of the direct recording
technology must start at the point when election officials are
developing specifications for hardware and software requirements.
These requirements must match the model of the registration
exercise — for example, mobile versus stationary registration points
or a large number of points versus centralized locations. Equipment
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