Chapter 13. Voter Registration
Overview
Voter registration is often the most controversial and expensive component of
an electoral process. No voter register is completely current and accurate, thus
all voter lists remain exposed to complaints and objections, both of technical
and political nature. Despite the central role played by voter registration
activities in the electoral cycle and its significant costs, its relevance for EMB
strategic planning and democracy support capacity-building programming
has only fully emerged in recent years. Voter registration processes, regardless
of the registration model or technology applications chosen to support them,
touch upon broader issues related to the state’s administrative structure and
social contracts. Voter eligibility rules are examined in Chapter 12.
The general international obligations that affect voter registration are the Right
to Vote and the State Must Take Necessary Steps to Give Effects to Rights.
The right to vote is violated if the legal framework makes it unreasonably
difficult for a person to register to vote, as a person who is not registered can
generally not vote. The right to vote is also violated if the legal framework
fails to ensure accuracy in voter registers, or fails to enable the detection of
fraudulent registration, compromising the obligation to guarantee Equal and
Universal Suffrage by diluting the weight of legitimate votes. States are thus
required to ensure that voter registers are comprehensive, inclusive, accurate
and up to date, and that the registration process and voter register are fully
transparent.
The legal framework may place the responsibility to register to vote on the
individual, an approach referred to as active voter registration. This option
requires the individual applicant to proactively seek registration with the
competent authorities. Alternatively, the legal framework may hold the
International Obligations for Elections 179