Transport of Ballot Boxes

The ballot boxes should be transported to the counting centre in a vehicle with a closed compartment and a lock that can be sealed. All the proper information on the vehicle, the driver, the numbers of the seals used on the closed compartment, etc. should be written on a waybill and given to the driver.

This same information should be communicated to the counting centre so that it can be checked upon receipt. Such measures promote efficiency of transport and prevent fraud.

In the process of transfer from one kind of transport method to another (when using more than one type of transportation such as from a truck to a boat and then back to a truck), the driver should verify the following: that all ballot boxes were transferred; that a new seal was placed on the lock of the compartment of the new transport vehicle; and note the number of the new seal on the waybill. The driver should sign the waybill indicating that the transfer was properly done.

Persons who accompany the ballot boxes (representatives of political parties and candidates and electoral officers) should sign as well.

In areas where potential violence may compromise the safe delivery of the ballot boxes, a vehicle escorting the carrying vehicle may be appropriate. Armed forces, police, or a national or international organization may be used to provide the needed security. An election official and representatives of political parties should accompany the ballot boxes and observers can follow in another vehicle.

The ballot boxes should not be left unattended at any time unless they are locked in secure storage. To demonstrate transparency during transportation, representatives of political parties and candidates should be encouraged to accompany the ballot boxes from the voting station to the counting centre.

Prior arrangements must be made regarding who is delegated as a representative of political parties and candidates during transportation, since it will not be possible to have representatives of many political parties and candidates accompanying the ballot box transport.

Once at the counting centre, the official responsible for the reception of the ballot boxes should collect the waybill from the driver and verify all information: numbers on the seals, driver identification, etc. The same information should be verified against information previously transmitted.

The official then breaks the seal and the ballot boxes are counted and removed from the vehicle to the planned location in the counting centre. All forms attached to the ballot box and the seals are verified before putting a sticker or colored tape on the ballot box indicating that the ballot box is ready to be counted.

The waybill is completed and signed by the official responsible for the reception of the ballot box, the driver, and representatives of political parties and candidates.

Copies should be given to the driver, representatives of political parties and candidates and the original should be kept by the electoral official who receives the ballot boxes at the counting centre.

Securing Ballot Boxes During Transportation

If one or more ballot boxes from the same voting station are to be transported directly to a counting centre, it is advisable to use just one vehicle.

If possible, at least two representatives of political parties and candidates, representing different political parties could be in the same vehicle along with the election official. Observers should be allowed to accompany the ballot boxes.

Since some ballot boxes are bulky and heavy, and it is more practical to have one vehicle carry the ballot boxes of multiple voting stations to a distant counting centre, it may be necessary to use a rented vehicle with a closed compartment at the back with a lock that can be sealed.

Once the lock is sealed, the serial number of the seal along with a brief description of the content (number of ballot boxes and their respective voting station numbers) and the name of driver and passengers can then be transmitted to the final destination by fax or phone and verified on arrival. This information should also be recorded on the waybill.

A new seal should be used, and the numbers of the previous seal recorded, each time more boxes are added to a shipment. Usually, these measures will be sufficient to deter any tampering of the ballot boxes.

In areas where potential violence may compromise the safe delivery of the ballot boxes, a vehicle escorting the carrying vehicle may be appropriate. Depending of the safety of the area, military or police forces may provide the escorting vehicle(s).

Their presence may be an advantage as their vehicles generally have communication capabilities, which could be used in case of emergencies.

Transmission of transport details to the counting centre or electoral management body prior to the departure of vehicles is recommended and representatives of political parties and candidates and observers should be allowed to travel, according to previously settled arrangements, with the escorting vehicles.

The transportation of ballot boxes in the most dangerous and violent areas can be done with the assistance of military/police vehicles.

Armed vehicles equipped with radios or phones may be necessary to provide the security required. However, agreements with all political parties and candidates should be obtained prior to election day, especially in areas where the role of the military in the political process has been questioned.

To address any potential criticism, and as far as practically possible, voting station officers, political party and candidate representatives, and observers should be assigned to travel in the same armed vehicles according to arrangements negotiated in advance by the electoral management body.

If, at the destination, it is found that any ballot boxes have been tampered with or are missing, the matter should be reported directly to the electoral management body. The electoral authorities must be ready to begin an investigation, as soon as possible, and conduct interviews with the driver to recollect the sequence of events and, if necessary, confirm this with the passengers.

To facilitate the recollection of events, a log book should be provided to the driver to note all departure/arrival times and other events occurring during the transportation (fuel stops, breaks, overnight stays, etc.). At no time should a ballot box transport vehicle be left unattended.

During unavoidable stops the driver and assistant/passengers should take turns to guard the ballot boxes.

Unloading of Ballot Boxes

Once the vehicles transporting the ballot boxes arrive at the counting centre, designated officials should unload in the order of arrival.

If a queue of vehicles is forming, an attendant could distribute tickets indicating the time of arrival. This will maintain a sequential order of priority in processing the vehicles/teams, and also allow an accurate recording of the time of arrival in the receipt log.

The waybill and/or the transportation form should be collected from the driver (see Completion of Transport Logs) and verified: the driver's identification, numbers of the seals, etc.

The documentation should also be verified against information previously transmitted to the counting centre from the voting station. The seal on the vehicle should only be broken once proper verification is completed and an exact count of the number of ballot boxes to be received is known.

The ballot boxes are then unloaded, one-by-one, from the vehicle and moved to the planned destination in the counting centre. This operation should be under constant supervision from officials of the counting centre. The official responsible for reception of the ballot boxes should verify that the seals are unbroken, and that sealed envelopes are attached to the ballot boxes.

If all safeguards are in order, a sticker, coloured tape, or other type of symbolic identification could be placed on the ballot boxes as they are removed from the vehicle. This will indicate that these ballot boxes are verified and ready to be counted. This measure can also help to prevent the counting a ballot box twice, or missing a ballot box in the count.

The ballot boxes that are ready to be counted should be in a location where they will not be mixed with ballot boxes already counted.

Once all the ballot boxes are unloaded from the truck, a last verification count of the number received against the number expected via the transport logs should be done. A receipt form can be issued to the driver to verify delivery completion, and the designated officials in charge of receiving the ballot boxes should keep a copy.

If the seals on ballot boxes are broken or there is any sign of possible fraud, these ballot boxes should be set aside in a separate area, and not mixed with others. A report for each of them should be written and signed by officials, drivers, representatives of political parties and candidates , etc.

These ballot boxes should be clearly identified as not to be opened, with a label or other form of sticker, to ensure they will not be confused with ready-to-be-counted ballot boxes. Any matter of possible fraud should immediately be addressed to the electoral management body so they can start an investigation.

Until further notice from the electoral management body, these ballot boxes should be left untouched and secured.

Completion of Transport Logs

A document or other type of communication informing the counting centre of the departure of the vehicle from a voting station should be made.

This communication, whether it be through phone or fax, should provide the counting centre with the following information:

• name of driver,

• name of passengers,

• number of ballot boxes and respective voting station numbers,

• ballot box seal numbers,

• compartment seal numbers,

• departure time,

• the route that the vehicle is taking,

• type of vehicle, etc.

This document/information will be checked against actual information provided at the time of unloading the vehicle.

Quantities of ballot boxes and their voting station numbers should be carefully checked. If discrepancies are found, they should be noted on the log and the electoral management body should be informed immediately.

If ballot boxes are missing, verification should be made with the departure point to ensure that the information provided at the time of departure did not change. It is possible that a ballot box may have been routed through another vehicle.

If the vehicle transporting the ballot boxes has a separate sealed compartment, the serial numbers of the seals should be verified against the information provided prior to departure.

The driver should not break the seal unless an election official of the counting centre is present and has verified the number. All other steps mentioned above apply.

Once all the information is checked and verified, the official responsible for the receipt of the ballot box should sign the waybill and indicate the arrival and completion times and date.

The driver and representatives of political parties and candidates who accompanied the ballot boxes should also sign this waybill. Each of them should be allowed to keep a copy. If the driver cannot produce the waybill or the transportation form for the election official, special measures should be taken.

Identification of the driver and passenger(s) should be verified against the information transmitted by phone/fax or other means. The license plate and the number of the seal on the vehicle compartment should be verified as well.

If all this information is confirmed, the officials may proceed with the opening and closing of the ballot boxes. However, an entry regarding the absence of the waybill/transportation form should be made in a log book kept by the official responsible for receipt of the ballot boxes at the counting centre. In all cases, discrepancies should be promptly reported to the electoral management body.