To establish and maintain public confidence in the electoral process, vote counting systems and procedures should incorporate the fundamental principles of vote counting in a democratic election.

These fundamental principles are:

• Transparency

• Security

• Professionalism

• Accuracy

• Secrecy

• Timeliness

• Accountability

• Equity

Transparency

For the counting process to be open and transparent, representatives of political parties and candidates should be allowed to witness and/or participate in the process, and be permitted to copy the statement of the results of the counting process. National and international electoral observers should also be allowed to witness the process and be permitted to copy the statement of the results of the counting process.

In some countries, ordinary citizens are encouraged to watch the counting process. Jurisdictions will often require that the observers to the counting process do not have access to people outside the counting location and are unable to communicate via mobile telephones or through other methods, until the vote counting is concluded.

Manual counting is by its nature more transparent than computerized counting. If vote counting is computerized, new mechanisms for ensuring transparency, such as external audits, need to be introduced.

Security

The security of the ballots and the ballot boxes, from the time voting begins to the completion of the count, is fundamental to the integrity of the counting process.

Voting station and counting officials, representatives of political parties and candidates, and national and international electoral observers should carefully watch the ballots and the boxes at all times, and accompany them if they are moved from one location to another. Individually numbered, tamper-proof seals or bags should be used to ensure the secure transport of ballots. Transparent ballot boxes can also be used to counter the susceptibility for fraud.

There is a perception that ballots that are moved from the voting station to a central counting venue are more vulnerable to tampering and fraud. All observers, including political party and candidate representatives should be permitted to accompany the ballot boxes to the central counting venue.

Professionalism

Voting station and counting officials are expected to conduct their duties and responsibilities in a professional manner. They should be thoroughly trained in the counting process, as distinct from the voting process; thorough in their procedures; and committed to treating electoral materials with care and respect.

Once a person accepts work as a counting official, he or she must be non-partisan throughout the entire process. Some jurisdictions require that all counting officials (as well as voting station officials) sign an oath to this effect, creating awareness that they can be legally prosecuted if their work or conduct is proved to be partisan. The oath should also include a confidentiality clause that ensures that sensitive information and the identify of voters is not divulged.

Accuracy

Accuracy is directly related to the integrity of the count, and of the elections themselves. Later discovery of errors and correction of mistakes can lead to accusations of manipulation or fraud.

The accuracy of the count will depend on clear procedures and manuals, adequate staff training, and their commitment to the process. Clear audit trails of ballots and ballot boxes, as well as checking and rechecking mechanisms, will contribute to the accuracy of the results. Whilst mechanical voting or computerization may enhance accuracy, this must be balanced against the resulting apparent loss of transparency.

Secrecy

Secrecy of the vote is important because it ensures that voters cannot be victimised for the way they vote, or intimidated into voting a particular way. To preserve the secrecy of the vote, voters' identification must be protected during the count. If their identity and choice on the ballot is determined as a result of counting procedures, it must be kept confidential and never revealed by any of the people involved in the electoral process.

If the secrecy of the vote of individuals or a community is a concern, measures such as counting at counting centres, rather than at individual voting stations, or mixing ballots from different elecrtions, can be considered. Numbered ballot papers corresponding to matching stubs with the voter details, while facilitating accountability and clear audit trails, compromise secrecy and are best avoided.

Timeliness

Delays in completing the count and in the release of unofficial preliminary results can negatively affect the level of integrity and confidence in the voting process.

The responsible electoral management body should carefully plan all stages of the counting process to facilitate the early announcement of results, or at least to realistically assess when results can be announced, taking into consideration the communications and transport infrastructure.

It is best practice to inform the public if there are time delays in the announcement of the results. If the process is slow updates should be given regularly to reassure the public that the integrity fo the count is being maintained.

Accountability

Clear responsibility and accountability for each stage of the counting process are important. At the national level, the electoral management body should be accountable. At the electoral district level, it may be a senior election officer or commission official.

At voting stations, specified voting station officers may be responsible for voting and counting. Clearly defined complaints and appeals processes are also important. There should be structures in place with the authority and competency to address complaints and appeals. These may include political party liaison committees, conflict management and resolution bodies and legal structures.

Counting rules, including criteria for rejecting ballots, should be clear, agreed upon and known in advance, and understood by everyone involved in the election, including election officials, the general public, political parties, candidates, non-governmental organizations, and national and international electoral observers. Clear audit trails are essential in ensuring accountability.

Equity

Equity means that the rules are the same for all participants in the electoral process, and that they accept these rules. The proper training and non-partisanship of counting officials and voting station officials, and the presence of political party representatives and candidate representatives, observers will help to ensure that counting is conducted in a fair and correct manner.