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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) \u2014 Japan<\/a> and the Organization of American States signed a deal Tuesday to award Haiti<\/a> a $3 million grant to help it register voters as the troubled country prepares to hold general elections for the first time in more than a decade.<\/p>\n The money will help Haiti\u2019s government update its voter lists and procure 350,000 blank identification cards, the OAS said in a statement.<\/p>\n Gang violence<\/a> has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, with many leaving their IDs and other important documents behind when fleeing their homes under attack by armed men in Port-au-Prince and beyond.<\/p>\n The OAS said the grant also would help reduce the backlog of Haitians awaiting identification, expand services in rural communities and improve power and internet connections in decentralized offices.<\/p>\n Last month, Haiti\u2019s government began voter registration<\/a> in Port-au-Prince, where an estimated 70% of territory is controlled by gangs.<\/p>\n The first round of elections is scheduled for Dec. 13, although experts have said ongoing gang violence could push back the date once again.<\/p>\n