SOUTH AFRICAvoteri registration in africa A Comparative Analysis edited by ASTRID EVRENSEL ii VOTER REGISTRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Voter Registration in Africa: A Comparative Analysis offers a comprehensive introduction to the single most complex process within the electoral cycle. It critically analyses the efficacy and sustainability of different voter registration systems across the African continent. The first part of the book provides an overview of different voter registration methodologies, including combined civil and voter registration, periodic versus continuous registration and active versus passive registration. It identifies guiding principles for voter registration and introduces the reader to the latest technological developments in the industry, such as fingerprint and face or iris recognition. The challenges of using biometric technology in harsh African conditions are highlighted, and the responsibilities of national election management bodies, international donors and other decision makers in this million dollar business are critically examined. The second part of the book offers detailed descriptions of the voter registration systems used in eight countries, namely – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. Some have established sustainable and effective systems that provide numerous best practice recommendations, while the lessons learned from those countries with less successful registration exercises are invaluable. SOUTH AFRICA iii Voter Registration in Africa A Comparative Analysis Edited by Astrid Evrensel iv VOTER REGISTRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Published by EISA 14 Park Road, Richmond Johannesburg South Africa P O Box 740 Auckland Park 2006 South Africa Tel: +27 11 381 6000 Fax: +27 11 482 6163 e-mail: [email protected] www.eisa.org.za ISBN: 978-1-920095-93-2 © EISA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of EISA. First published 2010 EISA is a non-partisan organisation which seeks to promote democratic principles, free and fair elections, a strong civil society and good governance at all levels of Southern African society. This publication has been produced with the assistance of the United Nations Democracy Fund. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, the United Nations Democracy Fund or its Advisory Board. All photographs used in this publication are provided by Astrid Evrensel, unless otherwise mentioned. In order to ensure privacy, persons’ private details on documents, such as names, ID numbers, registration numbers and photographs, have been altered in this publication. Printed by: Global Print, Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA v CONTENTS Foreword Craig Jenness ................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................viii Acronyms and abbreviations ......................................................................................ix Introduction Astrid Evrensel ..................................................................................................................1 COUNTRY CASE STUDIES Democratic Republic of Congo Hubert Akumiah ............................................................................................................57 Ghana Ole Holtved ...................................................................................................................102 Liberia Alioune Cisse and Astrid Evrensel ...............................................................................127 Malawi Alan Wall ....................................................................................................................161 Mozambique Alan Wall ....................................................................................................................200 Rwanda Hubert Akumiah ..........................................................................................................246 Senegal Alioune Cisse and Astrid Evrensel ...............................................................................280 South Africa Alan Wall ....................................................................................................................305 Appendices .................................................................................................................355 Bibliography ...............................................................................................................365 Index ...........................................................................................................................369 Contributors ..............................................................................................................381 vi VOTER REGISTRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOREWORD I would like to congratulate the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA) on the publication of Voter Registration in Africa: A Comparative Analysis. This is a study that is long overdue. The concept of the publication was partially triggered by a realisation at the United Nations (UN) and EISA that sustainability must be one of the key determinants of how voter registration processes should be designed, particularly in Africa but also in other parts of the world. The United Nations Democracy Fund helped support this project as part of a larger initiative to examine voter registration and sustainability in different regions of the world, looking at contexts including post-conflict countries and transitional democracies. This publication is the first in a series of such publications, which together will form an invaluable contribution to the examination of this important topic. A sound voter registration process is crucial to a successful election. Yet voter registration is also often the most expensive part of conducting elections, and therefore there is a need to look at how cost effective voter registration can be. We at the UN recognise that there is no ‘one way’ or ‘best way’ to conduct elections and, for that matter, voter registration. What works in one country does not necessarily work in another. Each country has its own political and socio- economic contexts, its own resource limitations and its own needs to take into consideration when designing a voter registration system. Much attention has been given lately to the use of technology, particularly the use of biometrics, in voter registration. Some argue that biometrics will make the voter registry ‘accurate’ and ‘fool proof ’. But there never can be an absolutely accurate voter register, even in the most developed countries, due to the difficulties of constantly capturing deaths, movements of populations, etc. In addition, biometrics in itself will not increase confidence in a voter registration process if, for example, the entity that conducts voter registration does not have the confidence of the populace as a competent and impartial body. What this timely publication is saying is that technology in itself will not solve problems rooted in issues such as mistrust among stakeholders or lack of political freedoms. Elections, at the end of the day, are a political process. ‘Technically perfect’ elections, even if they were possible, will not necessarily deliver the political acceptance of election results by the stakeholders. At the same time, use of technology is not all bad. Indeed, it is both inevitable and invaluable. Email, for instance, has become a critical tool in elections just as it has in any other context requiring efficient communication. Those of us involved in electoral assistance must simply be aware of the new pitfalls that technology can introduce. For example, vendors and experts related to them may hide ‘future SOUTHFOREWORD AFRICA vii costs’ when certain technologies are being marketed to election commissions. We should also be aware of who will have rights to the information gathered and the software used. Electoral assistance has – for both good and bad – become ‘big business’ to a number of entities, and this publication also makes reference to that important aspect. We hope this publication and other similar efforts will advance the dialogue with electoral commissions, governments, electoral experts, donors and stake- holders on the many issues surrounding voter registration methodologies, so that decision-makers can make the most informed choices possible. This important publication discourages uniform solutions and instead helps to promote careful thought about what is best for each peculiar context. I am sure readers will find it highly useful. Craig Jenness Director Electoral Assistance Division, Department of Political Affairs, United Nations viii VOTER REGISTRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many individuals contributed to the evolution of this research project and to the production of this book. We extend our profound gratitude to Craig Jenness, director of the Electoral Assistance Division in the Department of Political Affairs with the United Nations Secretariat in New York, for