Several countries including Nigeria, Yemen (funded by the UN), Ghana and Kenya have required biometric registration in order to vote. The reason given for this is to prevent voter fraud. Whether this works or not is questionable. Also, the cost and complexity of maintaining and using a biometric database creates an entirely new set of problems that may eclipse the problem of fraud.
In the United States, biometric registration has become an issue of race. African Americans believe that the move to require biometrics is intended to discourage them from voting. The Republican party tends to favor biometric registration while the Democrats tend to oppose it. Rand Paul, a republican senator from Kentucky, made news recently by breaking with his party and opposing biometric voter registration. According to Mr. Paul as quoted in the New York Times;
“Everybody’s gone completely crazy on this voter ID thing. “I think it’s wrong for Republicans to go too crazy on this issue because it’s offending people.”
Last year Senator Paul introduced an amendment to the Immigration Reform Bill to block the issuance of a biometric national ID card.
If you are one of the people who think that biometric voter registration is a pretty good idea, think about what you gain and what you have to give up. Be careful what you wish for. You might not like everything that comes with it.
COMELEC: No biometrics, no vote on 2016 elections
DAVAO DEL NORTE, June 2 (PIA) - - -
Officials of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced on May
29 during the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo that only those individuals who
have registered to the biometrics system will be allowed to vote in
the May 2016 elections.
Abdul Kader Tambuang, election officer
of Panabo City, said that pursuant to Republic Act 10367, all voters
are mandated to register in the biometrics system of the commission
to vote on the 2016 election.
Tambuang said that the commission
already gave a copy to the barangays the list of voters, who have not
registered to the biometrics.
Atty. John Paul Cubero, election
officer of Tagum City, revealed that most of the voters listed in the
no-biometrics record were those registered before 2004, which was the
start of the biometrics system.
Cubero said that the biometrics was
formulated to eliminate irregularities in the election, such as
flying voters and double registration.
Cubero added that the biometrics will
be saved in the national database of the commission, thus an
individual cannot register more than once in any location in the
country.
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