The Question
This question is posted by Reuben Chemitei, member of the Practitioners' Network

Small democracies are slowly embracing appropriate technologies in the election process. Save for voting, registration is one process that has done this through what is called BVR (Biometric Voter Registration). The lack of experience by the staff handling the BVR machines and devices contributes to occasional slowing or a halt to the registration process because machines hang or even fail to function. My gut tells me that this set of staff needs IT troubleshooting skills. Therefore the questions that arise are:

1. With regard to BVR, what are some of the skills that are essential to the new inexperienced staff?
2. What are the common problems encountered when applying BVR systems?
3. What are the possible solutions with regard to hardware and software?

Summary of responses
Essential skills for staff operating biometric voter registration (BVR) include basic computer skills, with an emphasis on data capture, processing and administration. Staff should also have planning and logistical skills. It is also noted that there should be some capacity of staff to repair and maintain equipment.  Adequate time must also be set aside for training of staff.

In terms of common problems, more than one expert reports that hardware can be adversely affected by the environment (e.g. heat, humidity and rain). It can also be difficult to obtain fingerprints from some people. On the technical side, there is a danger of software bugs, a lack of Internet bandwidth in rural areas and poor Automatic Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) performance during de-duplication of the entire print database. Additional technological challenges present themselves if same day fingerprint verification is required and verifying mismatches of biometric data can be problematic in general. Interoperability of the entire system must also be taken into consideration, especially if hardware components come from different manufacturers.

Other factors to take into consideration are socio-cultural, e.g. touching and photography people and infrastructure (such as a sufficient power supply).

Possible solutions with regard to hardware and software include ensuring that whoever is contracted for the BVR can demonstrate the technology’s required throughput and speed. Selecting the right type of fingerprint scanner is also important, as is webcam and printer specification. Thorough testing and piloting of both the hardware and software is advocated and it is stressed that the biometric technology should be able to accommodate upgrades as well as some failures.

Examples of related ACE Articles and Resources
Encyclopaedia:
• Voter Registration Technologies and Materials  
• Voter Identification

Consolidated replies:
• Biometric voter verification in Ghana 

External Resources
• Voter Registration in Africa: A Comparative Analysis, Ed. Astrid Evrensel, EISA  
• Civil and Voter Registries: Lessons Learned from Global Experiences, Ed.Michael Yard, IFES

Names of contributors
1. Ingo Boltz
2. Bartolomeu Chichava
3. Staffan Darnolf
4. Ahmed Gedel
5. Hadija Miiro
6. Maria Helena Alves

I agree when he says that for the manipulation of these devices must have qualified staff which does not happen in countries that adopt this technology.
Going to your questions would:
The inexperienced team must have at least basic computer user's perspective. They should have a long period of training so that they feel familiar with the equipment.
The problems that for example we had in our country (Mozambique) was due to poor specification of the hardware (the equipment does not bear the environmental conditions in some inland regions such as moisture, excessive heat and rain).
The hardware must be in accordance with customer specifications as needed to support the environmental adversities and the sheer volume of data. As to software depends upon the purpose of use.

There are several good books out on this very topic that will give you a good start. Would recommend EISA's Voter Registration in Africa (www.eisa.org.za/PDF/vrafrica.pdf), which gives you a good overview from the African continent. Another one covering other parts of the world would be IFES' book Civil and Voter Registries: Lessons Learned from Global Experiences. (Ed.Michael Yard).

Biometric equipment consist of two input devices and one output device.The input devices are;the fingerprint scanner and the webcam,while the output device is the printer that provide the voter identity card.In the workings of the Biometric voter registeration the information you put in must be the information that comes out. The most critical equipment is the fingerprint scanner.There are  four different types of fingerprint scanners in the market namely;optical,solidstate,thermal and ultrasound.The choice of the scanner for voter registration may depend on cost,climate,level of IT Personnel and vendors sincererity to give details of the scanners.Much is also depend on the EMB Specifications required.Another challenge is the software to be used for the compression of the captured fingerprint,that also depend largely on wether verification would be carried out on election day.Although i would not subscribe verification on election day.You also need to consider the type of printer and the webcam.Like the fingerprint scanner,webcam and printer specification must be considered.The other issues has to  do with the interoperability of the entire system as each of the hardwares may have  come from defferent manufacturers.There are whole lot to discuss regarding Biometric kit equipments.

Anmed M.Gedel   

Some of the skills required are:

1.           Text Data Entry Skills: of applicants’ particulars; name, age, address etc.

2.           Image data capture skills, including the efficient use of photo, iris, fingerprint or other biometrics equipment:  cameras and scanners, to ensure the captured images are of the quality required for duplicate analysis

3.           Data Processing skills including uploading data into the system, cropping images, and  merging data if necessary as well an performing duplicate analysis (verification and identification of subjects)

4.           Database administration skills to ensure its accuracy, reliability and safety of data including trouble shooting and system maintenance skills to take corrective action on day to day hiccups

5.           Repair and maintenance skills: Because of the unique nature of the equipment, especially scanners and cameras that may not be readily available on the local market, and the large volumes usually involved, the EMB should train and retain a dedicated unit to repair and maintain the equipment including cameras, scanners, computers and printers

6.           Printing skills of photo bearing registers and cards

7.           Planning, logistics management skills to ensure proper timetabling of events and timely delivery and retrieval of equipment, materials, data and information

B.     What are the common problems encountered when applying BVR systems?

The problems can be grouped under 3 subheadings:

1.      Environmental Factors:

These may be internal or external to the organization

a)      Internal Factors

·         Knowledge and Skills Levels: Many countries lack the skills to administer Voter Registration Biometric Systems. Substantive training and experience may be required and this is acquired over time

·         System Acceptability: Whether the EMB and its staff are already to accept the system is always an issue and resistance to change is common

·         Organizational Politics by individuals and groups within the authority who interfere with successful implementation for personal interest or misconceptions

b)      External Factors:

·         Political Factors: Political leadership may not be interested in having an accurate register, especially where electoral rigging is rampant

·         Vendor Interference: Many systems have failed due to unethical behaviors of the vendors. Many vendors will attempt to influence government of the EMBs because of the large amounts of money involved

·         Climate: Temperatures, dust may affect the equipment, especially where storage facilities are not adequate or where extreme weather may not allow registration during certain seasons

·         Socio-cultural factors: It is inappropriate to touch women in some societies to capture her fingerprints or to take a photograph of her face. In a busy environment, the exercise may be viewed as inconvenient

·         Infrastructure: Sources of electric power required for much of the technology may not be available. For example, camera may need to be recharged. Others include poor roads, and storage facilities for the equipment

2.       Technical Factors

a)           Increased usage in the recent past: There are now many types of equipment on the market, with varying speed and levels of efficiency. Technological delays and failures are common.

b)          Characteristics of some biometrics change. For example, voices change with age or disease, skin degenerates, some are subject to labor.

c)           Some biometrics mismatches cannot be verified without use of high technology. For example, when a mismatch is identified by facial recognition, the two faces can be visibly viewed and verified by looking at them if the mismatch is obvious. This is not possible with some of the other technologies like iris and fingerprint.

a)           Lack of compatibility: Integration of biometric technology into existing systems may require procurement of new systems or replacing existing equipment and software. Others may require registering applicants to capture registration information (finger prints, iris, and face)  meet the technical standards for duplicate analysis or to collect missing information

3.       Initial Capital and Maintenance

a)           Initial costs for procurement of equipment, training of staff, awareness creation and putting the required infrastructure in place are usually very high

b)          Lack of cross-project collaboration among different government departments results into increased costs

c)           Poor choices or technology and delays resulting from poor planning and management and corruption results in increased costs

C.    What are the possible solutions with regard to hardware and software?

1.      Testing of equipment and software is necessary before massive procurement. The integrated system should also be tested to ensure compatibility of various parts or subsystems, quality of images and other data, accuracy and comprehensiveness of information. Failure to do this may result into system failures, loss of time and resources

2.      Piloting the integrated system is necessary to ensure to it works efficiently in a given environment and to obtain lessons learned and recommendations for the national wide BVR process

3.      Procurement of equipment and software should be from the actual manufactures or reputable vendors

4.      The Biometric technology system procured must meet the following requirements:

·         Scalability: To allow upgrading of hardware and software to handle an increased voter/civil registry database, and other needs of the client

·         Robustness: To enable the system to continue functioning efficiently in the face of hardware or software failures, temporary failures might result into great and unrecoverable losses of data.

·         Ease of Integration:  With other biometric technologies and retain high levels of performance; with existing infrastructure including existing hardware e.g. computers, and software e.g. operating systems, data capture systems; with other government systems: passport office, driving licensing department, tax authorities etc.

·         Reliability: Must be dependable and accurately providing the expected results

·         Computational power:  Should be sufficient to process and return the expected results in the shortest possible period. Ideally, computation should be based on the principle of real time analysis

·         Accuracy: Should have none or minimal False Acceptance and Reject Rates

·         Productivity: Should be able to handle a high number of requests in a specified period

·         Should support high number of records without compromising other requirements like speed and efficiency

·         Ease of Use: The system must adoptable and easy to use

·         Demand Driven rather than supply driven: Tendency for suppliers to influence the procurement process so that they sell what they have rather than what the client need

·         Equipment and software should have stood the test of time although buying commonly used equipment especially cameras and scanners may result into thefts

5.      Planning and Time Considerations: Use of biometrics in election administration is a high technology process: funds have to be raised; materials, equipment and software procured, data collected and processed into meaning information, duplicate analysis done and multiple entries removed, registers printed and displayed and cards printed and issued. Efficient planning and implementation well in advance is required

In my opinion, the first question should be: is the Biometric Voter Registration cost justified? While I believe that the implementation cost of a computerized voter register is justified, I am not sure about the justification for using a full Biometric Voter Registration (finger prints + photo) unless connected with the national identity registration system (Example: Colombia) or to an  Authentication System - a biometric device to identify registered voters through fingerprinting, for instance (Example Venezuela). Besides the problems and relative high error rate involved, the biometric data collected, such as finger prints, are rarely used during the voting operation (Example DRC). The available funds might be better used to implement a reliable, well designed, computerized permanent voter registration system easy to keep updated, responding to voting operations needs and respected by voters and the others election stakeholders.