Liberia’s Biometric Voter Identification Programs Are Moving Forward
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has joined forces with the government of Liberia and the World Bank to launch a revolutionary initiative aimed at providing every Liberian citizen with a biometric identity card. This ambitious program is being rolled out at a crucial juncture, as it is estimated that over half of Liberia’s population currently lacks access to traditional forms of identification.
The objective of this project is to provide every individual with a recognized identity card that can be authenticated by referencing multiple data points from sources such as relatives, community members, or superiors – all without the need for extensive travel and cumbersome procedures that necessitate official documents like passports or birth certificates. In addition, this will ease the process for citizens to utilize government amenities and perks such as educational institutions and healthcare facilities.
Liberia has a high rate of voter fraud
The problem of voter fraud in Liberia is a pressing concern that shows no signs of dissipating in the near future. Regrettably, the tools available to combat such fraud are limited in nature. The country has been implementing biometric voter registration since 2008, which has yielded some positive results; however, it has yet to be able to increase its implementation to meet the demand or prevent significant issues from arising at polling stations during election day.
In Liberia, the current method of casting votes is done by hand. Individuals are provided with a physical ballot, which they then place into a digital receptacle located at the polling station. This system poses a significant risk as it allows for potential manipulation and deceit by both political allies and election officials.
Biometric can help Liberia Fight Voter Fraud
Ever since the beginning of 2018, the Liberian government has been making concerted efforts to enhance the security measures surrounding its electoral process. This entails implementing cutting-edge biometric voter registration systems, revamping the design of identity cards, and ensuring that polling stations are fortified to provide maximum protection to voters.
On March 20th, the plan to initiate the initial stage of the project in the country was unveiled – the implementation of biometric voter ID cards. These cards will be utilized at voting centres during this year’s elections and will eventually take the place of traditional paper ballots once voting machines become accessible. As polling stations open next month, this revolutionary approach could assist in preventing deception by ensuring that only eligible voters are granted the privilege to cast their votes – or at least alleviate any worries of getting caught with counterfeit documents such as passports or birth certificates.
M2SYS Deployed Biometric Voter Registration System in Yemen
In 2014, the Supreme Commission of Elections and Referendum (SCER) of Yemen selected M2SYS Technology’s TrueVoter biometric voter registration system in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). With the capacity to register and match fingerprint, finger vein, palm vein, iris, and face templates, 14 million voters were registered for the election using this BVR technology. TrueVoter assisted in reducing the number of election disputes, bolstering the validity of the voting process, and increasing public trust in Yemen’s democratic institutions.
Conclusion
The Liberian government is certain that using digital identification technologies will significantly reduce incidents of election fraud. Additionally, they think that people will be more willing to accept the system by making sure that each person’s identity is genuine and secure.
Trusted Biometric Biomtric Voter Registration Technology Partner – M2SYS
M2SYS provides custom end-to-end biometric turnkey solutions for all kinds of biometric voter registration projects. You can choose any biometric hardware or matching engine and we’ll give you the whole “Turnkey” solution. With over two decades of experience delivering biometric identity management solutions to customers throughout the world, our award winning technology provides secure, convenient identification solutions for safe, easy interactions and transactions.
