The preliminary voters list is normally made available to and reviewed by political parties who provide additional verification of the quality of the list. Political parties usually have a vested interest in reviewing the preliminary voters list and to confirm its accuracy. This is a crucial step in the voter registration process for two reasons. First, the use of open and transparent procedures is a key element of free and fair elections. By providing generous access to the preliminary voters list to political parties, the election administration is making an important contribution to the transparency of the electoral process.
Transparency helps ensure no important information is kept secret.
Second, election administrators usually for comprehensive voter registration information. Parties often are able to make an important contribution to improving the quality of the voters list by providing updates and corrections to the information, and therefore can make a positive contribution to the ability of election administrators to successfully develop a complete, current and accurate list of electors. The need to incorporate external checks on the list must be balanced by concerns over privacy. Many privacy issues have been raised in the U.S. with respect to voter registration information and procedures. Some persons, such as judges, police officers, or people whose safety may be at risk from an abusive former spouse or partner, may have their names suppressed from the public rolls for reasons of personal safety.