What is voter registration?

Voter registration is fundamentally the process by which eligible citizens sign up to vote. This process is crucial because it ensures that individuals who are legally allowed to participate in elections can do so. Voter registration typically involves providing personal information such as name, address, and date of birth to a designated authority, which confirms eligibility based on criteria like age and citizenship status.

This process is essential for maintaining the integrity of elections, as it helps to create a list of individuals who are authorized to cast ballots, avoiding issues such as voter fraud and ensuring that each vote comes from a legitimate and verified source. By requiring citizens to register, governments can better manage the electoral process and ensure a fair representation of the population.

For example, without proper voter registration, there would be no reliable way to ensure that only those qualified to vote are participating in elections, which could undermine the democratic process. Thus, understanding voter registration is critical to grasping how elections function and how citizen participation is organized.