Presentation
on
Election
Polling Operations
Prepared by:
Sean Dunne
Electoral Assistance Division
United Nations
Definition
Polling operations include the preparatory steps and
implementation of election day activities. Polling operations are
interdependent with voter registration modalities, balloting
methods and counting processes.
Polling Operation Factors
Electoral system
Time
Cost
Staffing Requirements
Communications Capability
Logistics
Security
What ballot can a voter cast and where?
The electoral system usually determines what ballot a voter can cast and
where they can cast the vote. For example:

A system that uses a single national district (such as, a direct
Presidential election) allows a voter to cast a national ballot if they are a
registered voter and they are recorded on the voter’s list at a polling
station.

An electoral system that uses sub-national boundaries to create electoral
districts may only permit voters that are resident or were born within that
district to cast a vote in that location. Also, they usually may only cast a
vote for candidates competing in that district.

A mixed electoral system (where an assemblies’ seats are allocated
under a combination of systems), for example, national proportional
representation (nPR) and district based elections may mean that the
voter casts more than one vote – a vote for the nPR race and a vote for
the district election.

Polling operations are designed to accommodate the requirements of the
electoral system, including: who can vote, where can they vote and what can
they vote for.

Voter’s List
Who can Vote?
The voter’s list provides information of all persons entitled to vote. The
minimum criterion are normally:

A minimum age requirement; and

Citizenship.

The ability to exercise voter eligibility may include other provisions, such as:

A location requirement (they must reside at, work at or have a place of
origin in a particular location);

Must be registered on the voter’s list;

May have to hold a current and valid voter’s identity card, or other form
of valid State identification.

The information captured during the registration of the voter allows these
attributes to be captured. If a voter registration does not hold certain
information (or the information changes, such as, a person’s place of residence)
a voter update exercise may be conducted.

Update exercises may be conducted in different ways, including: prior to an
election, periodically (e.g. annually at a certain time each year) or continuously
(similar to a driver’s license facility) available year round.

Voter List Update
Start of Challenge Period
Voter’s roll is
updated.
Exhibition and
challenges of
voter lists.
Collection and
processing by
the electoral
authority.
Start of Nomination Period
Voters nominate
where they want
to vote.
Resolution of
challenges.
Voter
List
Challenges
to
nominations
Deadline for Challenges
Deadline for Submissions
Information to
voters
Voting Location
Where can a voter cast their vote?
Place of Origin
No Choice
Place of Residence
Choice: Origin or Residence
Voter
Place of Choice
Choice: Origin, Residence
or other location.
Polling Location: Place of Origin
A voter may or may not still be resident at their place of origin

The voter’s place of origin will not change in the voter registration system,
they only come from one place of origin.

Over time, voter’s not resident at the place of origin may exceed those at
the place of origin

Voters must travel back to their place of origin to cast a vote

A voter that can only vote for candidates at their place of origin may not
have access to campaign material until election day.

Polling Location: Place of Residence
Voters do not have to travel far to be able to cast their vote.

The voter’s place of residence may change in the voter registration
system over time. As such, procedures are necessary for the update
of their details.

The number of voters in an area may increase or decrease with
social movements e.g. urbanization trends.

A voter that votes in the area of their residence will be exposed to
campaign material of local candidates. Conversely, this can be an
incentive for parties to campaign in a range of locations outside their
constituency.

Process is normally associated with a pre-nomination by voters of
where they intend to vote. Appropriate ballots are then made
available at those locations.

Polling Location: Nominated Location
Voters have a choice to vote at their place of origin, residence or
other location. They determine how far to travel for voting.

The voter’s nominated place of voting may change in the voter
registration system over time. As such, procedures are necessary
for the update of their details.

The number of voters in an area may increase or decrease
arbitrarily.

Process is normally associated with a pre-nomination by voters of
where they intend to vote. Appropriate ballots are then made
available at those locations.

Can be an incentive for parties to campaign in a range of locations
outside their constituency.

Voter Allocation
Note: Districts indicated below are for demonstration purposes only.
Voter
List
Personnel
Personnel Personnel
Usually finalized 2 to 3 months prior
to an election.
Voters’ List impact on Polling Preparations
The number of registered voters allocated is important to determine:

The number of polling stations required;

The number of electoral staff necessary to operate the polls;

The number and types of ballots required;

The distribution of ballots.

The number of voters allocated to a polling station usually varies between 300
to 1250 depending on the polling procedures and capacity:

If a polling station is open for 10 hours, there are 600 minutes available
to process the voters. If there is an allocation of 600 voters to a station, it
is anticipated that each voter will on average, require 1 minute to be
processed and vote.

A polling station’s capacity to process voters can be increased by having
several staff checking the voter’s credentials and several screens
available for marking a ballot.

A minimum and a maximum number of voters are normally set in the electoral
regulations to determine whether a station will be opened.

Polling stations may be grouped together in population dense areas to create
polling centers.

Ballot Creation Process
&
Security
Candidate Nomination Process
Start of Challenge Period
Ballot/s
finalized and
produced for
election day.
Ballot
Exhibition and
challenges of
candidate lists.
Collection and
processing by
the electoral
authority.
Start of Nomination Period
Candidates
and/or parties
register for the
ballot
Challenges
to
nominations
Deadline for Challenges
Deadline for Submissions
Information to
candidates and
parties
Ballot Security
Ballots are categorized as ‘Sensitive Materials’ in an electoral
process, which makes them subject to audit and special measures.
They must be protected against human error and fraud.

There are several mechanisms to account for ballots that are usually
institutionalized in the electoral regulations and procedures, including
one or more of the following:

• Unique identifier numbers are printed on each ballot;
• The ballot is stamped and initialed by a poll worker prior to being
issued to a voter; and
• Ballot reconciliation forms are completed by poll workers at the
end of polling, noting the number of ballots issued to the polling
station, the number of ballots issued in the course of polling and the
number of spoilt ballots. This may also record the sequence of
unique identifier numbers for the ballots
Ballot Security
Unique Identifier Numbers
Each ballot when it is printed has a
unique alphanumeric sequence printed
on it.
AAA345
BALLOT
PAPER
(Front)
The sequence of letters and numbers
can contain information such as, for what
constituency the ballot belongs, based
on the letter sequence (e.g. AAA =
Beirut).
When ballots are distributed to polling
stations, the sequence is recorded, such
as, AAA100 – AAA999.
When reconciling ballots the sequence
of unused ballots may be recorded.
These steps can stop stuffing of ballot
boxes or forged ballots being cast.
When combined with scan counting of
ballots (which may require a bar code)
these numbers can again be checked to
ensure all ballots counted are valid.
Ballot Security
Stamping of Ballots
Each ballot, before being handed to a
voter at the polling station, is stamped by
a poll worker and initialed on the rear.
BALLOT
PAPER
(Back)
Only ballots that have been stamped and
initialed are considered to be valid votes,
as the stamp and initials show that the
vote has been properly issued to the
voter.
These steps, require extra training and
materials for poll workers to ensure that
the procedures are followed correctly.
This measure, in combination with other
steps, assists in stopping ballots from
being added after polling has finished.
Ballot Security
Reconciliation Forms
Total number of ballots issued to
the polling station with the unique
serial number range.
Serial of Last ballot issued + 1
Serial of First ballot number
Total ballots issued
Spoilt ballots
Issued – Spoilt = Ballots in Box
Extra ballots received
Ballots sent elsewhere
Ballot Distribution
Unique Ballots for Each Geographic Constituency
Note: Districts indicated below are for demonstration purposes only.
For each constituency there is a unique ballot.
Where can a voter cast a ballot?
What ballot can they use?
Ballot Dispersion – Vote at Place of Origin
The unique ballot is available only at polling
stations within that constituency.
The voter can only cast a ballot for the
constituency of their place of origin.
Ballot Dispersion – Vote at Place of Residence
(with voter pre-nomination process)
Voters may vote at a polling station at their place of
residence or origin – but they must indicate this
decision in a pre-nomination exercise.
The unique ballots are available at polling stations
where voters have registered as residents to cast
their vote or, by default, at their place of origin.
Ballot Dispersion – Vote at Nominated Location
(with voter pre-nomination process)
The unique ballots are available at polling stations
where voters have registered to cast their vote.
Voters may vote at a polling station of their choice –
but they should make a selection in a pre-election
exercise, by default, they vote at place of origin.
Ballot Dispersion – Residence or Nominated
(NO voter pre-nomination process)
The ballots are available at all polling stations.
Voters may vote at a polling station of their choice –
without pre-nomination data, ballots for all areas
must be available in sufficient numbers at all
locations.
Polling Station Operation
Polling Staff Roles
Polling Staff Member
Area of Responsibility
Presiding Officer
•Assisting with the training of polling staff
•Ensuring that the polling place is set up and ready for operations prior to the
opening of the polls
•Supervising other polling place staff during polling and counting hours to ensure
that integrity and procedural accuracy are maintained in the polling and counting
operations
•Closing the polling place at the conclusion of the count, as well as preparing the
electoral material for delivery back to the county office
Identification Officer
•Verifying the presence of each voter on the registration roll
•Verifying the non-existence of ink on the fingers of the eligible voter
Ballot Paper Issuer
•Issuing the ballots to the voter and directing the voter to a vacant voting
compartment
Ballot Box Controller
•Guarding the ballot boxes to ensure all voters deposit their ballots (and no
unauthorized materials) in the appropriate ballot box
Polling Place Queue
Controller
•Controlling the entrance to and exit from the polling place so that only authorized
persons enter the polling place, and that voters leave the polling place
immediately after voting;
Inker (if ink used)
•Apply ink to the finger of the voter
•Direct the voter to exit the polling place
Polling Station Configuration
9'-3"
100'-0"
Mail Room
Voter
Ballot Box
Controller
Manufacturing
•Check Voter
off List
•No Ink on
finger
70'-9 5/8"
Issue Ballot
Ink on Finger
Presiding
Officer
Queue
Controller
Accounting
Customer Service
9'-3"
Reception
Mail Room
VOTERS
Voter
Voters
Identification
Officer
Ballot Paper
Issuer
Inker
Counting Operations
Counting Considerations
The counting operations should preserve the secrecy of the vote – that is,
there should be no connection between the voter and their vote. Counting
procedures are also designed to minimize vulnerability to human error and
fraud.

In some circumstances it is also necessary to protect the voting pattern of
communities. In these case, sealed ballot boxes from polling stations are
transported to one or more counting centers, where they are mixed, prior to
counting.

Several factors affect the decision of where votes are counted – the locations
can vary between:

At each polling station;

At a sub-national counting center; or

At a single national counting center.

A degree of counting centralization (or complete centralization) allows for the
focusing of resources and personnel, although this is achieved at the cost of
higher security and transportation requirements (moving the ballots from polling
stations to the centralized locations). If automated counting is used,
centralization can reduce the number of machines required for the process.

Counting at the Polling Station
At the closure of the polls, the Presiding (or a Returning) Officer completes the
reconciliation form.

The ballot box is emptied and counting is conducted. Valid votes are
separated from wasted votes (blank votes or those that are invalid).

Valid votes are then tabulated in accordance with the electoral system and are
reported to a centralized tally center.

At this level, the voting behavior of a community can be determined by virtue
of the polling station results.

At this level, it provides maximum exposure to local voters in terms of
transparency.

Party agents, civil society representatives and electoral observers must be
present in large numbers to be able to be present at all polling stations for the
counting process.

It is easier to expose fraud with polling station level counts – however, it can
also be easier for electoral staff to undertake fraud at this level.

Counting at the polling station is usually fastest in performing a count.

Counting at a Centralized Location
At the closure of the polls, the Presiding Officer completes the reconciliation
form. The ballot box is sealed and securely transported to a centralized
location for counting.

At the centralized location, the ballot box and reconciliation form is received
and receipted, opened, and a count of the ballots conducted to verify the
reconciliation form.

The votes from several polling stations may then be mixed together – breaking
the connection with small community level voting patterns.

The valid votes are then tabulated in accordance with the electoral system and
are reported to a centralized tally center.

Party agents, civil society representatives and electoral observers are able to
better focus their presence at centralized locations to cover the counting
process.

High capacity scanning technology can be used to perform the count. This
process is usually subject to manual audit and quality control processes.

The results of the counts are then usually reported to a central tally center.

Polling Operations Summary
Update
Identification
Eligibility
Voter Education
Party Information
Public
Information
Central/decentralized
Automation
Time
Voter
List
Counting
Design
Procurement
Production
Distribution
Site security
Access security
Sensitive materials
Ballots
Security
Polling
Transportation
Warehousing
Procurement
Communications
Logistics
Location
Specifications
Site
Materials
Selection
Staffing
Selection
Recruitment
Training
Payment
Specification
Procurement
Distribution
Warehousing
END OF PRESENTATION