Suffrage fails to be universal or equal in many ways all across the world. One way that countries often fall short of this internationally accepted standard for democracy is through the process that is required to prove one's identity. In most countries, an individual who wishes to participate in an election must in some way prove their identity, demonstrating and validating their identity. The rationale for this of course is to prevent ineligible voters from registering to vote and avoid voter duplication. 

 

While it is critical to the legitimacy of elections that such types of fraud be prevented, there is another side to the voter identification process: the disenfranchising effect some processes have when the resources are not committed to making them work; and whether under a cost-benefit analysis, certain types of ID regimes, particularly those making use of expensive biometric technology, are effective.