Albania Expands Voter ID Options for Diaspora in May Elections

Albania’s Democratic Party has introduced parliamentary amendments that would expand voter identification options for Albanian citizens living abroad in the upcoming May 11 elections. The proposed changes would allow diaspora voters to use biometric documents issued by their countries of residence, moving away from the current requirement of Albanian state documentation only. This represents a significant shift in the country’s ongoing implementation of biometric voter verification systems, which began rolling out in late 2023.

The amendments emerge against a backdrop of complex population demographics. Official civil status registers show Albania has approximately 4.7 million citizens, with 3.7 million of voting age. However, INSTAT census data reveals only 2.4 million people currently reside within Albania’s borders, including both minors and foreign residents. The Albanian diaspora is estimated between 2.3-2.7 million people, with roughly 1.8-2 million being of voting age.

Democratic Party representative Oerd Bylykbashi explained the proposal’s significance: “With this amendment, we make possible a rule change that is consistent with this extraordinary reform that has been made in the right to vote in Albania, in the expansion of this right to half of the Albanian electorate,” he said.

The State Election Commission has identified implementation challenges for diaspora voting. According to Ivi Kaso, “The main issue raised by the State Election Commission was the deadline for preparing this process for a large number of voters who were expected.” Despite these logistical concerns, Kaso noted there has been “relatively high interest from the Diaspora to register.”

The proposed amendments would specifically address document validity issues by allowing citizens to vote using expired Albanian identity cards or foreign biometric documents. This initiative builds upon electoral reforms initiated in 2020 and enhanced in 2024, aiming to ensure comprehensive voting access for all eligible Albanian citizens, regardless of their documentation status or current country of residence. 

The move comes as Albania continues to modernize its electoral infrastructure, following the country’s broader digitalization efforts and alignment with European Union standards for identity verification and electoral integrity. The implementation of these new identification options will require significant updates to existing voter verification systems and training for election officials both domestically and at diplomatic missions abroad.

Source: A2 CNN

–

January 23, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team