IEC launches online voter registration facility

The Electoral Commission has launched an online voter registration facility allowing new voters to register and existing voters to update or amend their registration from anywhere.

The online voter registration facility is part of the commission’s ongoing commitment to provide greater accessibility and convenience to voters.

“The Electoral Commission believes the online facility will be a game changer in promoting voter registration especially among young and first-time voters. Research and engagements over the years with young eligible voters to better understand their behaviour have frequently identified the lack of online voter registration as a key obstacle,” the commission, which is also known as the IEC, said.

The introduction of an online registration system is also a crucial part of the commission’s plans to boost voter registration despite Covid-19 ahead of the local government elections scheduled for 27 October.

“The Electoral Commission hopes that providing a facility whereby voters can register, check and update their registration details without having to visit an IEC office or a voting station will serve to minimise congestion and maximise registration,” the IEC said.

Verification

The system will utilise a number of security checks to ensure the integrity of the voters’ roll. These include the use of a one-time-Pin verification and the submission of a scan or photograph of the voter’s ID document.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission rescheduled its planned voter registration weekend to 31 July to 1 August due to the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. All 23 151 voting stations are expected to open between 8am and 5pm over that weekend to help voters register and check their registration details in person.

“The online voter registration application was developed using a progressive Web application platform, which means it can be used on any device with a browser and it uses less data than most mobile apps because it does not need to be downloaded.

“It allows the system to identify and take advantage of specific features on a device. For example, if a camera is detected, the system will suggest the user take a photo of the ID document,” the IEC said.