Since 2000 IFES/AEOBiH has been giving technical support to MECs for voter registration programs. These programs have focused on updating voter registers by providing professional and financial assistance to MECs for locally designed voter registration and re-registration campaigns. MECs have planned and implemented motivational and educational activities focused on specific target groups of voters, including displaced persons, persons returning to prewar municipalities, new registrants and young voters. Special mobile voter-registration and re-registration teams have been set up in secondary schools to reach young voters and in areas where displaced persons and returnees live. It is also important to point out that local administrative bodies have contributed to these activities with their own resources.

Locally designed voter registration and re-registration projects have been implemented in several different ways, including press conferences and press releases; MEC appearances in the local media; meetings with representatives of local political parties; and design, printing and local distribution of information and motivation posters.

The program has resulted in an increased percentage of accurate voter registers. It has also strengthened the skills and expertise of MECs in writing, design, implementation and evaluation of the projects and encouraged the participation of local administrative bodies.

A similar program of voter registration project was conducted from April to June 2002. Eighty-eight MECs participated in this program during which 43 531 re-registrations, 25 983 new registrations and 9575 other changes (deletion of deceased persons, correction of voters' personal information etc.) were made in the Voters Registers of the participating municipalities.

AEOBiH believes that such programs should be continued indefinitely to keep voter registers current, to educate and motivate voters, and to build the capacity and skills of MECs.