During election periods, one of the most debated topics is how voter identity is verified. The manual method of checking documents still raises concerns about efficiency and security, as it relies on human attention. In this context, biometric technology emerges as a practical and effective alternative to identify voters, reduce fraud risks, and optimize the voting process.
Since 2008, the Electoral Court has recognized the importance of biometrics. However, biometric data collection is not yet mandatory nationwide. This is because the transition to the digital model faces challenges such as system adaptation and the inclusion of less-structured municipalities. Nonetheless, successful experiences, such as those recorded by the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais (TJMG), reinforce the potential of biometric technology to modernize not only the electoral system but also other sectors of public administration. Read on to find out more!
Why is biometrics important in elections?
The main concern of an electoral process is security. To prevent fraud such as voter substitution or duplicate votes, biometrics replaces traditional voter identification methods. To get an idea of the level of protection achieved, just remember that a fingerprint can only be used to recognize a single individual.
Another key advantage is that biometrics makes the voting process faster and more efficient. Voter identification occurs without the need for human intervention, which speeds up service at polling stations.
How biometrics is used in electoral processes
On election day, the voter presents a photo ID and is directed to the electronic voting machine. Integrated into the voting machine, the biometric reader captures the citizen’s fingerprints. After collection, the information is compared with the biometric data registered at electoral registry offices or authorized service points. The integration with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) allows the entire process to be monitored and audited, ensuring the transparency of the elections.
As soon as the biometrics are confirmed and the identity validated, the voting machine unlocks to allow the vote to begin. Otherwise, the voter will be directed to a manual verification with the help of election officials. After authentication, the voter chooses the candidates, confirms the vote, and completes the process.
Biometric applied to other electoral processes
Although not yet widely adopted, biometric technology is already being used for electoral purposes in specific institutions. Implemented by the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais (TJMG), this solution has brought greater efficiency and security to the institution’s internal voting processes.
The TJMG adopted the BioPass ID solutions to streamline internal voting and enhance security, replacing traditional methods with biometric identification. Below are the results achieved by the institution.
Success case: biometric elections at TJMG
Check out the key outcomes achieved by the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais:
- Efficiency: biometrics reduced the average voting time.
- Security: biometric authentication ensured the uniqueness of each vote.
- Transparency: voters experienced a more reliable voting process.
BioPass ID enabled the swift and accurate validation of voters’ identities, eliminating fraud risks and ensuring a transparent and trustworthy electoral process.
Security and reliability with biometric identification
When analyzing the needs of electoral systems, we can say that the future of biometrics is promising as it brings integrity and transparency to the processes. The experience of the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais highlights the positive impact of biometric technology. Demonstrating that it effectively meets current needs, BioPass ID offers highly secure solutions, with more than 99% accuracy in biometric identifications and without the need for prior knowledge of biometrics.
Did you enjoy learning about biometric technology? Then check out how to prevent fraud in civil service examinations with biometrics.
