6 Feb 2014

Researcher warns some Solomon Islands voters could miss out

4:28 pm on 6 February 2014

A reseacher at Australian National University is warning Solomon Islands' shift to a new voter registration system could mean some eligible voters miss out.

Terence Wood is a PhD student at the university's State Society and Governance in Melanesia Programme.

Mr Wood says officials previously collated the electoral roll by visiting as many villages as possible but the new biometric roll will require people to visit regional island centres to register.

He says that means particular groups, such as the elderly and disabled, may find it difficult to register.

"There's just things to watch out for, right, what we want to make sure is that everyone is reached including people that are mobility-impaired and we also want to make sure that aspiring members of parliament aren't able to manipulate the system in a way that excludes supporters of their opponents."

Terence Wood says Solomon Islands is facing some logistical challenges in the lead-up to the election.