Following election, Ghana leads the world in biometric voter registration and verification

December 18, 2012
Adam Vrankulj

By having registered and verified approximately 13 million people for an election within 48 hours, Ghana has broken the world record previously held by India for 3.5 million people, GhanaWeb reports. Ghana’s world record-breaking accomplishment comes after the country successfully completed an election using biometric voter verification and registration systems. The 2012 election marks Ghana’s successful sixth election since returning to Constitutional rule in 1992. As reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, the Electoral Commission of Ghana, in the run up to

In Ghana, a non-working verification machine means no voting

November 16, 2012
Adam Vrankulj

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has announced that voting will be suspended at any polling station should the biometric verification machine break down, myjoyonline.com reports. This news comes after reports of fraud and a poor turnout to test the new biometric identity cards for voters in Ghana earlier this month. According to the Ghanaian government website, biometric voter identification cards contain 10 fingerprints, a headshot, as well as standard biographical data. Dr. Kwando Afari Gyan, chairman of the Electoral Commission

Alleged biometric voter ID card fraud, poor turnout for tests, complicate election in Ghana

November 15, 2012
Adam Vrankulj

Members of the Western Regional Branch of ‘Nana for President 2012 (NAFOP), a youth wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana, say some people in Sekondi-Takoradi, the country’s largest city, are forging the biometric voter identification cards of unsuspecting voters in the area, Modern Ghana reports. According to the Ghanaian government website, biometric voter identification cards consist of all ten fingerprints, a headshot, as well as the usual biographical data. Since its implementation, Ghana has seen little success

Kenya to delay biometric voter enrolment

kenya-biometric-voter-registration

November 7, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will delay its scheduled biometric enrolment of voters. Originally, the commission intended to start biometric enrolment of voters next week. Instead, the training of 30,000 registration clerks is now slated to begin November 12. According to reports, the Commission is experiencing problems rolling out the new biometric voter registration system due to logistical issues that range from the assembly and distribution of kits, to the time constraints involved with registering all Kenyan voters.

DigitalPersona CEO addressed European biometric conference

DIGITALPERSONA, INC. RICH AGOSTINELLI

November 7, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

Richard Agostinelli, the recently installed President and CEO of DigitalPersona, talked about leveraging biometric databases to create value for citizens at the Biometrics Exhibition and Conference, which recently took place in London. In a major conference session, Agostinelli talked about nations such as Nigeria and Brazil, where the democratic voting process is being embraced, allowing these emerging countries to step out of the “Third World” shadow. In order for these countries to have credible elections, they have to confront issues

Ghana’s biometric voter system test records poor turnout

November 6, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

The two-day test of Ghana’s biometric voter system ahead of its upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections were poorly attended, according to government officials. Officials from Ghana’s Electoral Commission said that the pilot biometric exercise, which took place at polling stations in one urban center and one rural community in all regions across the country, recorded extremely low voter turnout. According to a recent story in BiometricUpdate.com, the aim of the exercise was to ensure that biometric machines were properly evaluated

Ghana to test biometric voter system ahead of election

November 2, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

Ghana’s Electoral Commission will conduct a two-day test of its biometric voter verification system at selected polling stations from November 3 to 4. The exercise aims to ensure that biometric machines have been properly evaluated before the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The machines will be used to verify voter identity before a voter is provided with a paper ballot, and is the first time biometrics will be used in a Ghana election. According to the Electoral Commission, training of

DigitalPersona launches new line of mobile, PIV certified fingerprint sensors

October 29, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

DigitalPersona Inc., a global provider of biometric authentication and access management solutions, announced a new generation of biometric fingerprint sensors designed for mobile identification devices, which will be available to order starting November 15. These new devices combine low power, compact size and PIV standards compliance for voting, benefits-checking and micro-finance applications. “Smart ID is pleased to team up with DigitalPersona to bring their new PIV fingerprint reader to the Indian market,” said Nirmal Prakash, managing director at Smart Identity

Sierra Leone to use biometric voter registration

Sierra-Leone

October 19, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

Sierra Leone will be using biometric registration for the first time in its upcoming presidential, parliamentary and local council elections in November. The country’s National Electoral Commission decided on the use of the new system of registration. Registrants will have a picture taken and provide their thumbprints. This information will be used to make sure that there are no duplicated voters and ensure the integrity of the country’s voter registry. This is a new process for Sierra Leone with the

Smartmatic assists Venezuela conduct national election

smartmatic-venezuela

October 10, 2012
Stephen Mayhew

As technology supplier for the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), Smartmatic worked successfully to fully automate the national election process last weekend that resulted in the re-election of Hugo Chávez as president. Smartmatic is a multinational company that designs and deploys technological solutions aimed at helping governments fulfill, in the most efficient way, their democratic commitments with their citizens. It is one of the largest cutting-edge technology suppliers of electoral biometrics, with a wide and proven experience in the United