Mauritius: Voter registration and voters' rolls

Extracted from: Rouikaya Kasenally 2009 "Chapter 8: Mauritius" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 287-288.

Voter registration as stipulated in the Representation of People's Act (1968) is an indispensable phase in the democratic process, whereby 'qualified' people get registered in order to be able to vote later. Only Mauritians and Commonwealth citizens (having resided in Mauritius for at least two years) are qualified to be registered as electors and to vote. Registration of voters takes place in two stages in Mauritius: registration at home and at registration centres.

• Registration 'at home' A house-to-house electoral enquiry is undertaken at the beginning of each year over a period of about three weeks. Each head of household is contacted and is requested to complete a simple return in which the names and particulars of all registered electors in his/her household are already printed. Each new elector is given a registration form in which s/he inscribes his/her declaration of qualification, and s/he is asked to produce documentary evidence, preferably his/her national identity card or his/her birth certificate (if available). At the end of this exercise, a provisional 'electors' list is prepared that will contain the names of all those persons who appear to be qualified to be registered as electors.
• Registration at registration centres: The second stage of the registration begins with the setting up of a very comprehensive network of registration centres (including a few mobile ones) throughout each constituency. These centres are open for a period of two weeks (usually from 1 to 15 April) during which any qualified person whose name is not on the electors' list for his/her respective 'registration area', or who has been incorrectly designated, can present a claim to have his/her name entered in the final register or to have his/her designation corrected. This registration period is preceded by a publicity campaign over the radio, television, newspapers and through coloured posters displayed throughout the country, aimed at ensuring that all potential electors are aware of the facilities offered.

According to law, the register has to be published each year by 14 August and comes into force on 16 August, irrespective of the election date. In general a voter does not have to produce any document in order to vote, unless his/her identity is challenged by a candidate or agent, or ex-officio, in which case s/he has to produce his national identity card. No cases of fraudulent voting by foreigners have ever been reported. Table 3 [see Registered voters and voter turnout] provides data on the number of total registered voters in the last three general elections.

The registration of voters is usually conducted with a minimum of turbulence and is generally accepted to be a fair, open and transparent procedure. However, in recent times there have been opinions expressed on the need to introduce a rolling register of voters so as to avoid excluding voters. This is being taken seriously by the Electoral Commissioner and will be introduced as part of the electoral reform package.

Voter registration figures

Registered voters by constituency for 2010 National Assembly election
Registered voters by constituency for 2005 National Assembly election
Registered voters by constituency for 2000 and 1995 National Assembly elections

Reference

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT OF 1968, amended 1976, 1982, 2005.