The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Parliamentary Registration Department plans to streamline the registration process to get a voter’s card - as well as modernising the card itself.

Acting Parliamentary Registration Commissioner Arthur Taylor said work toward a digital, modern and more convenient process for voter registration is planned for the next two years.

He said there’s no consideration being given to introducing electronic voting.

“We’ve not been asked to look at anything relating to voting electronically,” he said. “When you create a machine to vote, someone is in their basement creating a way to get into it.

“In terms of the process with the new card, you’ll go online to apply for your voter’s card through the portal rather than just walking in here and saying you want to register. You’ll put your documents in online, and you’ll be given an appointment date to come in to do it. So, it’ll be as a flowing thing rather than the long lines you see.”

Mr Taylor said the goal is to have the voter’s card look similar to a licence in size and format.

“In February, they were well on the way to modernising it to a credit card size card,” he said. “I think that they’re rounding it off now. And that should be able to be launched by the next local government elections. We have put in our recommendation for it to be done, before the next two years.

“The only thing that will have to happen is people who are presently registered will have to come in just to get their pictures taken again. There will probably be some biometrics, we’re adding to it, facial recognition and fingerprints according to how they decide it.”