Is the biometric data used in voter identification at polling stations?

National Democratic Institute, Iran’s June 18, 2021 Elections, accessed 28 December 2021

“In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, interlocutors raised concerns that certain safeguards introduced to prevent multiple voting are likely to be eliminated for the June 18 elections. During legislative elections in 2020, polling officials deployed machines to electronically authenticate voters on the basis of both their national identification card and fingerprints. The fingers of successfully authenticated voters were then marked with indelible ink; all voters’ fingers were checked to ensure that they did not already bear signs of indelible ink before voting. For the forthcoming elections, due to concerns with the safety of high-touch surfaces in the context of COVID-19, voters will neither be asked to electronically authenticate their fingerprints nor will their fingers be marked with indelible ink. The decision to eliminate these two steps to the previous voting process, although introduced in light of genuine health and safety considerations, would also eliminate important safeguards against multiple voting, particularly in the absence of a voters roll as noted above. However, each voter will still be asked to present both their birth certificate, shenasnameh, and national ID card at the polls and the national ID card will continue to be electronically authenticated. If the national ID card is not available, however, he or she will be asked to manually enter his or her national ID card number - thereby requiring them to touch equipment.”