Bolivia to implement biometric electoral roll and chip-enabled ID

Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has announced the implementation of a new electoral roll featuring advanced biometric technology, including facial and fingerprint recognition. The project, which is set to begin this year, also includes the introduction of a new identity document equipped with a chip. This chip will integrate data from the Civil Registry, such as birth and marriage records, allowing citizens to perform various administrative tasks via QR codes without visiting the Civil Registry.

Gustavo Ávila, president of the TSE, stated that the initiative aims to modernize the citizen registration system and reduce costs. By seeking funding through the electoral body's own budget and international cooperation—including discussions with the European Union—the TSE intends to avoid using funds from the National General Treasury. Ávila noted that the current plan aims to achieve savings of up to 80% compared to previous proposals that were estimated to cost as much as $70 million.