Electoral roll


An electoral roll is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is usually broken down by electoral districts, and is primarily prepared to assist election officials at polling places. Most jurisdictions maintain permanent electoral rolls, which are updated continuously or periodically, while some jurisdictions compile new electoral rolls before each election. Electoral rolls are the result of a process of voter registration. In most jurisdictions, voter registration is a prerequisite for voting at an election. Some jurisdictions do not require voter registration, and do not use electoral rolls, such as the state of North Dakota in the United States. In those jurisdictions a voter must provide identification and proof of entitlement to vote before being permitted to vote.
Electoral rolls and voter registration serve a number of functions, especially to streamline voting on election day. Voter registration can be used to detect electoral fraud by enabling authorities to verify an applicant's identity and entitlement to a vote, and to ensure a person doesn't vote multiple times. In jurisdictions where voting is compulsory, the electoral roll is used to indicate who has failed to vote. In some jurisdictions, people to be selected for jury or other civil duties are chosen from an electoral roll.
Most jurisdictions close updating of electoral rolls some period, commonly 14 or 28 days, before an election, but some jurisdictions may allow registration at the same time as attending a polling station to vote; Australia closes its rolls seven days after an election is called, rather than with reference to the election day.
Traditionally, electoral rolls were maintained in paper form, either as loose-leaf folders or in printed pages, but nowadays electronic electoral rolls are increasingly being adopted. Similarly, the number of countries adopting biometric voter registration has steadily increased., half of the countries in Africa and Latin America use biometric technology for their electoral rolls.

Australia

Australia maintains a permanent electoral roll, which is used for federal elections, by-elections and referendums. It also forms the basis of state and local electoral rolls.
Enrolment is compulsory for all Australian citizens over the age of 18 years. Residents in Australia who had been enrolled as British subjects in 1984, though not Australian citizens, can continue to be enrolled. Normally, enrolment and change of details requires the lodgement of a form; but since 2009, New South Wales automatically updates enrolment details onto the state roll, but not the federal roll, from various government departmental sources. State civil registrars are required to supply information, for example relating to death of a person, to enable names of deceased persons to be removed from electoral rolls.
When an election is called, a date for the "close of roll" is also announced, on which date processing of enrolments and changes of details to the roll is suspended. Enrolment or change of details can be done online or by completing a form and sending it using regular mail, which must arrive by the deadline.
Currently, the electoral roll records just the name and address of the voter, although in previous years occupation was also recorded. Since 21 July 2004 the Commonwealth electoral roll cannot be sold in any format. It has not been produced in printed format since 1985, when it changed to publication on microfiche. Today, it is only produced in an electronic format, and can only be viewed at an Australian Electoral Commission or state electoral commission offices, each of which holds a copy of the electoral roll for the entire country. These arrangements try to strike a balance between privacy of the voters and the publication of the roll, which is integral to the conduct of free and fair elections, enabling participants to verify the openness and accountability of the electoral process and object to the enrolment of any elector. The elector information is provided to political parties, members of Parliament and candidates.

Belgium

over the age of 18 who are registered in the population registers of each municipality are included on a voters' list.
Foreign nationals may apply to be registered on the voters' list for municipal elections, and nationals of the European Union may register for elections for the European Parliament. Approval as a voter remains valid for subsequent elections and in the event of a change of residence in Belgium.

France

Each municipality maintains a permanent electoral list which is updated annually. Only registered voters can vote. A complementary list is prepared for nationals of a Member State of the European Union for French ballots open to them, namely for European and municipal elections. Each voter has an obligation to be registered on only one electoral list, but there is no penalty, other than being prevented from voting.
Since November 2009, pilot online registration has been permitted for a few municipalities, but was expected to expand.

Hong Kong

The electoral roll in Hong Kong is maintained by the Registration and Electoral Office. The final register is available every year on 25 July, except for years in which elections for the territory's district councils are held, when the final register is available on 15 September. All permanent residents of the territory, a status which required seven years of continuous residence, are eligible to be registered voters regardless of nationality or citizenship.

India

In India, publishing and updating of the electoral roll is the responsibility of the Election Commission of India, each state's chief electoral officers, and each state's election commission. These government bodies update and publish the electoral roll every year, making it available for download from official government websites.
Total voters in India as on 1 January 2019
  • Total voters: 866,913,278.
  • Men: 451,966,704.
  • Women: 414,912,901.
  • Third gender: 33,673.
State wise electoral details for Lok Sabha election 2019:-
No.State/Territory nameMenWomenThird gender
1.Andhra Pradesh17162603174096763146
2.Arunachal Pradesh3838043890540
3.
Assam		1062700510004509377
4.Bihar bihar36346421320707882119
5.Chhattisgarh91127668958481721
6.Goa5455315629300
7.Gujarat2226501220325250553
8.Haryana902754977923440
9.Himachal Pradesh245887823528686
10.Jammu and Kashmir3904982354831245
11.Jharkhand1125600310202201123
12.Karnataka24837243240452644404
13.Kerala12202869130855166
14.Madhya Pradesh26195768237720221135
15.Maharashtra43940543395429991645
16.Manipur9254319683120
17.Meghalaya8506678688020
18.Mizoram3621813777950
19.Nagaland5777935604220
20.Odisha15946303148905842146
21.Punjab105028689375422415
22.Rajasthan231177442085574045
23.Sikkim2002201888360
24.Tamil Nadu29574300301555155074
25.Telangana14472054138407152351
26.Tripura127569412302120
27.Uttar Pradesh76809778644361227272
28.Uttarakhand39234923572029151
29.West Bengal34592448324437961017
30.Andaman and Nicobar Islands1465241314640
31.Chandigarh30589226619413
32.Dadra and Nagar Haveli1221841053990
33.Daman and Diu58698578610
34.Delhi74637316005703829
35.Lakshdweep25372249040
36.Puducherry44635349486080

Ireland

The electoral register in Ireland is maintained by the local authorities and all residents that have reached 18 years of age in the state may register at the address in which they are 'ordinarily resident'. Each November a draft register is published after house-to-house enquiries. The register then comes into force the following February after time for appeals and additions. A supplementary register is published which allows voters to make alterations prior to voting day. Postal votes are restricted to certain occupations, students and the disabled or elderly resident away from their home. There is also provision for special voters that are usually physically disabled.
While all residents can be registered voting in Ireland depends on citizenship. All residents are entitled to vote in local authority elections. Irish and EU citizens may vote in European parliament elections. Irish citizens and such other persons as are defined by law may vote in elections to Dáil Éireann, for the President and in constitutional referendums.
The electoral register for elections to the six university seats in Seanad Éireann is maintained by the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin. Irish citizens that are graduates of these universities over 18 years of age may register. Voting is by postal vote and residence in the state is not required.