What is the genealogical value of Russian Duma voter lists?
Other than revision (census) lists, voter lists are one of the most geographically comprehensive, largest accounting of Jews (~ 15% of adult males) in Czarist Russia that exist today. While revision lists are much more comprehensive, they are from an earlier period in time and relatively few from Belarus are currently easily accessible. Voter lists document Jews in the early 20th century, a period for which more genealogists have definite names. Information available in Duma lists is for men over age 24: name (last, first, patronymic), place of residence, voter qualification reason, property/business values, nationality (most lists have only some of these items – see table below). Another valuable feature of Duma voter lists is that particular care was taken by the government to ensure their accuracy. That is apparent by observation and by studying the history of the pre-revolutionary Dumas. Districts sometimes published errata lists, indicating spelling mistakes and typos in the publi
