Reaching Every Voter: The Next Wave of Voter Registration

Webinar summary | 28 November 2025

Voter registration remains one of the most decisive determinants of inclusive electoral participation. As patterns of mobility increase and public expectations of digital services rise, election management bodies (EMBs) are under growing pressure to modernise registration systems while maintaining security, transparency and public trust.

This Electoral Stakeholders’ Network webinar brought together senior election officials and technology practitioners to examine how digital and biometric solutions are reshaping voter registration in practice. Drawing on experiences from Albania, Malawi and wider international deployments, the discussion moved beyond theory to focus on what works, what does not, and what EMBs should realistically plan for when introducing new registration models.

Diaspora registration at scale: lessons from Albania

Erton Sinani presented Albania’s first nationwide electronic voter registration system for citizens living abroad, introduced for the 2025 parliamentary elections. With around one-third of Albanian citizens residing outside the country, enabling diaspora participation had long been recognised as a democratic priority but proved difficult under traditional, in-person registration models.

The new system allowed voters to register remotely via web and mobile platforms, using multi-factor authentication and biometric facial recognition linked in real time to the national civil registry. In less than two months, over 245,000 diaspora voters were successfully registered across more than 100 countries, with peak demand reaching 8,000–9,000 applications per day.

Beyond the headline numbers, several operational lessons emerged. Legal preparedness proved as important as technical capacity: tight legislative timelines required rapid translation of legal requirements into technical specifications, with iterative adjustments during live operation. Data protection and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) were central to system design, shaping decisions on infrastructure, data storage and verification processes. Transparency was also prioritised, with real-time dashboards and structured engagement with political parties helping to sustain confidence during implementation.

Biometric voter registration in challenging environments: Malawi’s experience

Stanislaus Chisoni Mtingwi shared Malawi Electoral Commission’s experience deploying biometric voter registration (BVR) and verification technologies during the 2025 general elections. Operating in a context of uneven connectivity and limited infrastructure, Malawi demonstrated how technology can strengthen electoral integrity even where conditions are far from ideal.

Malawi registered 7.2 million voters, using biometric data capture that combined fingerprints and facial images. On election day, biometric verification was deployed at over 15,000 polling stations, supported by fallback procedures where fingerprints could not be reliably captured. Despite connectivity challenges, results were transmitted electronically through a network of constituency centres, with mobile network operators providing targeted support to maintain system continuity.

Crucially, technology was framed not as a replacement for institutional trust, but as a tool to reinforce it. Observers, including international missions, reported positively on the transparency and efficiency of the process, and results were published within the legal timeframe. At the same time, Malawi’s experience underlined that digital systems do not eliminate structural challenges: increasing voter registration rates, boosting turnout and improving women’s political participation remain priorities for future reform cycles.

Borderless registration and digital identity

Jorge Del Prado introduced a model for “borderless” voter registration built around portable digital identity. Using the Albanian diaspora registration as a case study, he outlined an integrated approach combining a citizen registration platform, a secure digital wallet holding voter credentials, and a back-office application management system for EMBs.

The model emphasised automation and user experience, with most applications completed in under five minutes and over 90 per cent successfully finalised via mobile devices. From an EMB perspective, key advantages included real-time application tracking, reduced manual processing and enhanced auditability. Security architecture was designed around encrypted data transmission, restricted access via virtual private networks (VPNs), and a “zero-knowledge” approach that limited exposure of sensitive personal data.

The discussion highlighted that while international standards and certifications (such as ISO frameworks) are useful benchmarks, they are not sufficient on their own. Sustained trust depends on governance arrangements, transparency with stakeholders and the ability to clearly explain how systems protect voters’ data and voting rights.

Shared insights for election management bodies

Across the session, several common themes emerged that are likely to resonate with EMBs considering registration reform:

  • Legal, technical and operational alignment is critical. Technology can only deliver if legislation, procedures and institutional capacity evolve together.
  • Biometrics are most effective when paired with pragmatic fallbacks, ensuring no eligible voter is excluded due to technical failure or data quality issues.
  • Diaspora registration is achievable at scale, but requires early investment in infrastructure, user support and public communication.
  • Transparency builds trust: real-time dashboards, stakeholder briefings and clear audit trails are as important as system security itself.
  • Modernisation is iterative, not a one-off project. Even successful deployments reveal areas for improvement that should inform the next electoral cycle.

Looking ahead

The webinar reinforced that voter registration reform is no longer primarily a question of whether technology should be used, but how it should be governed, implemented and communicated. As voter mobility increases and expectations of digital public services continue to rise, EMBs that invest early in robust, inclusive and transparent registration systems will be better positioned to safeguard both participation and trust in future elections.

This summary draws on presentations and discussions from the webinar “Reaching Every Voter: The Next Wave of Voter Registration”, including country case studies and technical briefings shared during the session.