International Overview of Biometric Voting: Progress, Debates, and Challenges for Democracy

Abstract

This review article examines the current state-of-the-art in biometric authentication systems applied to democratic electoral processes worldwide, with a specific focus on Latin America and Argentina. To consolidate and strengthen democratic institutions, it is essential to identify the key trends, challenges, and opportunities offered by emerging technological developments, based on an analysis of recent literature and reports from specialized international organizations. In this regard, biometrics—particularly fingerprint and facial recognition—has emerged in several states as a tool to guarantee suffrage security by verifying voter identity and preventing historical patterns of electoral fraud. However, its adoption is not neutral; it triggers vital debates regarding privacy levels, technological sovereignty, and database interoperability, which pose risks of shifting toward authoritarian social control models. This paper concludes that even the most advanced technological developments, built on technical maturity and proven prototypes, depend fundamentally on public trust, as well as legal and institutional frameworks that promote informed debate and robust regulations prior to large-scale implementation.