Röstlister

Röstlister are official records used in elections to identify who is eligible to vote and to organize the casting of ballots. They function as the authoritative source for determining participation in a given election and to support the administration of polling stations and vote counting.

Röstlister are typically prepared by electoral authorities at the municipal or regional level, drawing on data from national population registers and other official records. They are updated to reflect changes such as births, deaths, and moves, and the composition of the list can vary depending on the type of election (national, regional, or municipal) and the applicable eligibility rules.

A röstlista usually contains information necessary to verify eligibility, such as a person’s name, residence address, age or date of birth, and a status indicating whether the person is eligible to vote in the election. In many systems, the lists are organized by polling district to determine where a voter should cast their ballot. Some systems also use voter cards or other identifiers in conjunction with the lists.

Access to röstlister and protections around them are subject to national laws and data privacy regulations. In general, the lists are used for electoral administration and are regulated to prevent fraud and to protect personal data. Individuals may have rights to view their own entry, request corrections, or contest inclusion if they believe there is an error.

Röstlister are related to broader concepts of electoral rolls and voter registration, and the specifics can vary by country and election law.