Why is the government opposed to biometric technology in our electoral process?

Election is an important pillar in any democratic society and the recent revelations in the public domain regarding persons’ names appearing on the electoral list without their consent, persons who are deceased and who have been out of the jurisdiction for years appearing as signatories on those lists, should be taken very seriously. Voting is a fundamental right; the electoral process is a cornerstone of democracy, for this process to be legitimate, free, and fair, it is critical that the voters’ list be accurate, up-to-date, and clean. The voters’ list is a record of every eligible voter in the country, it plays a key role in determining the outcome of an election.

This, however, is not the case in Guyana, for we have an electoral list that has peoples’ names who are deceased and who have been living in the diaspora for many years, the law provides for the latter. This, in my view, should be amended to reflect Guyanese who are domiciled at home for a specified period of time. A clean voters list is one that accurately reflects the current voting population, and only includes those whose legitimacy to vote has been confirmed. Inaccurate or outdated voters’ lists can lead to a variety of problems, including electoral fraud, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, and inconsistent enforcement of electoral laws.

Voter fraud is a major problem in many countries, and Guyana is no exception. Concerns about voter fraud and electoral irregularities can undermine public confidence in the fairness and legitimacy of the election process. A clean voters’ list is the first step in ensuring that electoral fraud is prevented. Inaccurate or an outdated voters’ list can lead to disenfranchisement of eligible voters. This can happen when the voters’ list includes the names of individuals who have died or moved away or when the list excludes eligible voters. A clean voters’ list is essential to ensure that eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. Inconsistent enforcement of electoral laws also occurs in situations where the voters’ list is not clean. Polling officials may apply different standards for verifying voter eligibility, which can lead to inconsistent enforcement of electoral laws.

The government, therefore, should give thought for the use of biometrics in ensuring the accuracy of the voters list. Biometrics is a technology that uses an individual’s physical characteristics as a means of identification. Examples include fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition. Biometrics can be used in the electoral process in multiple ways, including registration, vote casting, and authentication. Biometric technologies are particularly beneficial in ensuring that the voters’ list is accurate and up-to-date; registering eligible voters; ensuring that the voters’ list contains accurate information; detect and eliminate duplicate entries, and eliminating fraud during voter registration. Biometric technologies can be used to enroll and authenticate voters more effectively, quickly, and efficiently.

Biometric vote casting is another application of biometrics in elections. This ensures that the voters’ list is used during elections to authenticate voters’ identity; ensures that only eligible voters cast ballots; eliminate impersonation and multiple voting; provides an extra level of security in the voting process; provides an added layer of assurance that the person voting is eligible and does not have any duplicate entries, and can be combined with other technologies to improve the electoral process. For example, the use of biometric technologies can be combined with smart card technology to provide an effective and convenient means for voters to cast their ballots. The smart card could be used for biometric authentication, allowing eligible voters to cast their ballots quickly and easily. The combination of biometric technologies and smart cards can also help reduce the time it takes voters to cast their ballot, thereby reducing the risk of voter fatigue and mistakes.

In conclusion, a clean voters list is an essential component for a free and fair electoral process. The use of biometrics can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of the voters list. In particular, biometric technologies can help to prevent electoral fraud, eliminate disenfranchisement of eligible voters, and ensure consistent enforcement of electoral laws. The use of biometric technologies in the electoral process can help to build trust and instill confidence in the electoral process, thereby ensuring that every eligible vote counts. The question is, why is the government who boasts about being democratic and supports free and fair elections is the main opposition to the introduction of such technology in our electoral process?