High rejection rate in diaspora voter registration process due to errors
In the first week of registering Albanian diaspora voters for the May 11 elections, a significant number of applications have been rejected. Out of over 42,000 applications, only 18,000 have been successfully registered, while nearly 10,500 applications were denied, with the remainder still under review. The State Election Commissioner stated in a press conference that most rejections are due to errors in the submitted address information.
Why is this important: Providing an accurate address is crucial for delivering voting envelopes to registered diaspora voters. Without a document verifying residency, the application is automatically invalidated, and the Central Election Commission’s electronic system disqualifies the applicant. Applicants are notified of the error via SMS or email and have the right to reapply with corrected information.
Context: Nearly 90% of the rejected applications come from Albanians residing in Italy, who also represent the largest group of applicants from 86 countries worldwide. According to the Commissioner, the primary issue identified is applicants uploading the wrong side of their ID document, omitting the section containing their address.
In a press briefing, the Commissioner also addressed electronic voting, noting that political parties have yet to reach an agreement on the specific zone for implementing this technology. Consequently, the KQZ plans to select a single administrative unit, rather than an entire district, for piloting electronic voting, as was done in the 2021 and 2023 elections.
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