SLIDE 31 03/27/2013 31
In sum um, , these e are the main n findings: dings:
Comprehensiveness:
82.9% of eligible citizens are registered. This represents a decline from the 2008 VRA showing a 87.9% registration rate. It is also a discrepancy with the National Election Committee’s statistic that the number of registered voters is at 101.7% of the eligible population.
10.8% of eligible citizens who think they are registered were not found on the voter registry. Among unregistered voters, only 2.1% were found on the 2012 deletion list. Further, 7.8% of eligible citizens are currently unregistered even though they said they voted in the 2008 and/or 2012 elections. Currency (Validity):
Only 63.6% of names on the list can be verified to exist in person, while another 17.9% exist but live most of the time in another location. Of the invalid names, 7.4% have permanently relocated, 0.5% were confirmed as dead and 10.4% are unknown. (List-to-People test.)
9.4% of the people in the deletion list were incorrectly removed. This represents no progress since 2008, despite extra measures taken by the NEC and commune councils to prevent false deletions. (Deletion List-to- People test.) Accuracy:
Voter data is less accurate than in 2008. Only 63% of records show matching data for date of birth, compared to 78.97% in 2008; and 86.4% of names match, compared to 87.88% in 2008. (Both tests.) Behavior
96.5% of registered voters said they intend to vote in the July elections; 74% of unregistered respondents said they intend to vote.
Recommen commendat dations: ions: Immedia ediate e
Given the inaccuracy of voter data and presence of unknown voters on the list, the NEC should
allow access for independent monitors to observe the identification verification of voters at the polling stations and provide access to voter lists in polling stations.
Considering the high internal migration rate, NEC should open a mechanism for non-resident
voter registration to allow registered voters who are away from their electoral district at the time
To build the public confidence in the voter registration process, NEC should improve
transparency by allowing independent observers and political parties to access the whole voter registry (in analyzable format). This is common practice in established democracies and would allow the VRA to expand upon its findings and provide more comprehensive information.
Given the number of unregistered citizens who plan to vote on election day, the NEC and all those
concerned with a successful election, such as non-governmental organizations, political parties, media and the general public, should encourage eligible voters to check their registration status
- n the voters list before July 28, 2013.
Due to the significant number of eligible citizens incorrectly deleted, the NEC should organize
another period for voters to check their names on the deletion list and submit complaints in order to be registered.
