Voting Materials

Timely and accurate production of voting day materials is essential if voting station supplies are to be packaged and distributed effectively. Voting station supplies such as election forms are the interface with the voting public. Their impression of election quality will be influenced by how easy it is for them to understand the materials they have to use.

It is important that there are strict specifications and quality control procedures applied to the large volumes of materials that are produced for use on voting day to ensure this timely supply and functionality.

Production Capacity

Production capacity is an important factor to consider in determining the scheduling and location of materials production. Election form production in particular, can put great pressure on available print capacities.

Where production deadlines are tight, print scheduling also needs to take into account transport times. If voting station specific or electoral district specific items, such as voters’ lists, are produced centrally, print those for the most distant electoral districts first.

Decisions will need to be made on whether materials are to be produced locally, regionally, or nationally, and for some items internationally. The packaging and distribution method adopted for voting station supplies is an important factor in this decision (for example, it would generally be unwise to produce materials at a local level if a centralized packaging methodology has been adopted).

Where standard materials are required in large volumes, there are cost-effectiveness and quality control benefits in centralized or regionalized production, provided that there are effective distribution methods available. Local production can be more effective for controlling materials with substantial local variations, or for local use only.

Voters’ Lists

Voters’ lists will be the most used item in voting stations on voting day. They need to be designed in a format that allows speedy and accurate location by polling officials of all relevant voter information. As they will be the basis for determining eligibility to vote, it is important that they are an accurate representation of the relevant section of the voters register. (For detailed information on voters lists, see Voters Lists)

Voter Identification Cards

In many systems, voters are issued, either at the time of registration as a voter or at a date prior to voting day, a voter identification card that is the basic document to be presented at the voting station to prove an entitlement to vote.

The voter identification card must contain adequate safeguards against transferability in order to be effective. This could be through including a non-removable photograph, fingerprint, or other assurance of identity of the bearer capable of being accurately checked at the voting station. Cards bearing only the signature of the voter may provide less integrity assurance.

Election Forms

Voting day is a massive exercise in information transfer. Much of this information records answerable actions, or needs to be recorded in a consistent manner to aid decision-making and transparency.

Hence, there are likely to be significant numbers of election forms, no matter what efforts are made to minimize their number. It is important that election forms are simply designed and easy to understand. (The production of election forms is discussed in detail at Election Forms. For issues regarding the printing and supply of ballots, see Production of Ballots)

Voter Information Materials

Production needs for voter information materials also have to be considered. Large quantities of these materials may be required, particularly if voter information guides are to be provided to each registered voter or household.

Arrangements will need to be made for production of information posters and pamphlets on voting procedures for use in voting stations, as well as a range of other signs and visual aids, such as voter direction signs and voting station location notices, that will assist voters.

General Supplies

A large range of general supplies will need to be acquired and supplied to voting stations, including:

• Stationery items such as pens, pencils, envelopes, and note paper;

• Packaging materials;

• Emergency lighting supplies;

• Items specific to particular voting procedures, such as ballot validation marks or multiple voting control supplies.

(For voting station needs for general supplies are discussed in detail, see General Supplies.)

Voters' Lists

The accuracy of voters' lists used in voting stations in extremely important for  the integrity of the voting process and needs to be ensured by The electoral management body.  Rigorous checking that each voter' lits accurately reflects the relevant portion of the voters' register must be undertaken. Any errors found need to be corrected immediately, preferably by revising and reprinting the affected lists before the lists are distributed to voting stations

As voters' lists are likely to be the most used single time of material during voting hours, it is important that they are a quality product. Information in them needs to be clearly presented, and the material on which they are constructed needs to be durable.

Quantity Produced

Voters' list are a highly accountable item. They should be maintained under security while awaiting distribution to voting stations and on their return following close of voting.  Normally they are only produced in the exact quantity needed for voting station use. This is generally one copy of each unique voters' lists. In systems where voters may have a choice of voting stations to attend within an electoral district or subdivision, multiple copies of the relevant lists will be required.

Voters' lists or full voters registers for electoral districts are normally also printed for public information purposes

Timing of Production

The production of voting station  voters' lists is determined by the legal deadline for additions , deletions or amendments to be made to the voters'  register. In setting the deadline, a balance  has to be achieved between

• accuracy of the voters' list in ensuring that recently deceased voters can be removed and other allowable changes made;

• time required for printing and distribution of voters' lists to all voting stations

Location of production , whether centralised , regionalised or distributed to local areas depends on the processing structure of the voter registration system.

It is important that  a legally designated electoral management body or other official certify that each voters' list used in a voting station is a true copy of the relevant portion of the voters' register. In some systems, the integrity of this process is protected by requiring this function to be undertaken by a member of the judiciary or a member or a revision court convened to review the register.

The format of voters' lists are almost as numerous as the formats of ballot papers depending on the voter registration systems, voter identification , and post-voting day list processing methods used.   Information required in the list is usually and properly defined in electoral legislation.  Voters' list formats include:

• A handwritten or typed listing of electors eligible to vote at a voting station
• An index of the original voter registration cards for all voters eligible to vote at the relevant voting station
• Printed lists of voters eligible to vote at that voting station generated from computerised data
• Optical character readable lists
• Lists containing a photograph of each eligible voter for the voting station as well as textual information 
  
  

The three major considerations in the design of voters' lists are:

1) the inclusion of all information required by election legislation

2) user-friendliness for voting officials

Some basic design specifications can serve as  guidelines for the wide variety of potential designs for voters' lists (where these are printed volume)

• Each page should contain the election title and date, electoral district name , subdistrict or voting subdivision name, voting station identification code and/or name and consecutive page number
• Paper size should be at a minimum of A4 and the color white
• Paper weight should be at a minimum of 70-80 g
  
• Suitable binding such as lockable ring binders , make ruling through of names easier. Binding specifications must ensure that the voters' list opens flat, without splitting.
• The names of voters should be shown in strict alphabetical order, in most societies in order of family name.
• Typefaces uses should be of a point size that is easy to read quickly
• Single sided printing of the list would be preferable.
• Names should spaced sufficiently for them to be marked clearly when the voter is issued a  ballot paper , without obscuring any adjacent names.
• Information shown should include the voter's full name as it appears on the  voter register, ( family name generally first) full address of registration and serial number or identification number on the full voters register or a link number to this serial number.
  

Where special voting facilities are available, ( such as absentee , early or mail vote),  methods of ensuring that voters cannot claim both a special vote and a normal vote at their voting station will be required.

Some alternatives in voting frameworks include

• marking voters who have cast a special vote on the relevant voting station voters' list before it is dispatched to the voting station
• constructing a special voter's list or lists for all voters applying for special votes and removing them from their normal voter's lists
• using enveloped ballots for special voting with voter details contained on the envelope being checked against the relevant voting station voters's list - to guard against impersonation and multiple voting- before the envelope is opened and the ballot acepted for counting.
  

Election Forms

Forms serve a vital control function in voting operations. While every effort should be made to keep the number of forms required to the minimum necessary, there will always be a significant number of voting operations forms, due to:

• the highly accountable nature of many voting operations actions, and the need to be able to demonstrate, possibly in response to a challenge to the election, the exact nature of actions taken;

• the need to record the vast amount of information associated with voting events in a standard manner, to enable consistent decision-making and to protect election integrity. 

Reviews

Forms are a necessary but obtrusive part of voting operations accountability mechanisms. It is important that voting operations management undertakes regular reviews of the numbers of forms and their content, to determine how much of the information being collected is:

• required by legislation;

• needed to ensure election accountability and transparency;

• used for effective current management of voting operations;

• may be useful to look at sometime;

• information whose purpose can't be immediately ascertained.

The last three categories should be closely scrutinized to determine which forms and information items collected:

• are really required as a formal record;

• have been overtaken by current practices and need revision;

• would be equally useable if merely noted or reported informally;

• have no discernible purpose.

Information being collected for no discernible purpose, especially, is a waste of valuable voting operations resources.

Forms for Internal Use

Avoid overloading voting operations staff with an excessive number of data collection, supplies tracking, and monitoring forms to complete. Voting operations staff will already be under pressure, and adding to that with requests for non-essential information or multiple requests for the same information from different management areas of the electoral management body, will not assist their performance.

Too many or too complex a system of required forms will lead to errors in completion, and, at worst, failure to respond to essential data requests that have been buried in a mass of other information requests. Try and keep forms simple but in a way that they are able to capture the necessary information.

Language

Forms may need to be produced in more than one language in societies with different official language groups or significant minority language groups.

To simplify supply, it is preferable for multi-lingual forms to be produced, rather than separate forms for each language. The time needed for effective translations needs to be considered in designing form and supply timetables.

Design Principles

The most effective forms are those that are easy to understand and to complete. Some principles that can be considered in designing voting operations forms include:

• use ordinary language, not legalese. Only a very small proportion of people who use voting operations forms will be lawyers.

• clear instructions for completing the form. Instructions are generally better as an integrated design element of the form, rather than as an add-on.

• all required information about the respondent (name, address, etc.) that can be identified clearly.

• information in a logical flow, using grouping of information requests where this is useful.

• clear spaces between individual information requests. Trying to put too much on to a single sheet is not efficient; it just makes understanding the form more difficult.

• areas in which responses are to be written are clearly delineated and sufficient room is provided for possible responses.

• a checklist on the form where there are standard administrative processes to be applied as a result of responses to a form. These administrative action checklists should be clearly separated from the information gathering section of the form.

• an indication on the form o how the information will be used. In countries with privacy protection legislation, this may be mandatory.

• as long as the intent of questions remains clear, and different sections are clearly delineated, collecting different types of data on the one form (instead of providing multiple forms) can be effective.

• collecting data only once, as far as possible. Multiple forms requesting the same information become a nuisance and may hinder correct completion of the requested data.

Other Distribution

Examples of relevant forms are usefully included with voting officials manuals, with their use being explained, if possible by simulations, during training.

In the interests of transparency it is also useful to make reasonable quantities of voting operations form samples available to political participants and other interested citizens.

Domiciling

Using laser or ink jet printing facilities can be effective to pre-print electoral district and voting station information, name or code number and electoral district/voting subdivision directly onto forms.

However a judgment has to be made as to whether this assistance to voting officials and assurance that all material is domiciled is outweighed by any added costs and complications in quality control for packaging and distribution of voting station material.

Forms Control

The amount of data that may need to be recorded on forms for voting operations can be immense. The forms listing examples at Election Forms Control Inventory give some idea of the number of forms that may need to be designed, produced, and completed.

Controlling form design and production is a major task in itself and requires adequate resourcing. Rigorously enforced systems of standard form numbers and revision and version control are necessary to maintain controls on voting operations forms numbers and content.

The following listing does not attempt to note all forms that will or can be used for voting operations, but it highlights the areas where standard recording or provision of information on forms, or their electronic equivalents, is likely to be necessary.

Nominations

• formal notices of nominations period

• nominations forms and any attachments 

• rejection or acceptance of nomination.

• withdrawal of nomination

• declaration of accepted nominations

• ballot order determination

• appointment of party/candidate representatives

• campaign expense and contribution reports

Materials Control

• contract/purchasing documentation

• labels or pre-printed envelopes for despatch and return of voting station materials

• inventories, supplies receipts, and delivery schedules

• loss and destruction notices.

Staffing and Training

• information pamphlets for prospective staff

• offers of recruitment, suitability assessments, and contracts/appointments 

• training schedules, advisory notices and assessments.

• undertakings to abide by codes of conduct/maintain voting secrecy

• staff identification badges

• records of staff attendance and payment records

Voting Site Management

•premises and security assessments

• determination and notification of voting locations

• voting hours notifications

• ballot paper issue, accounting, and reconciliation records 

• boting station notices - voter flow signage, prohibitions on voter behaviour (no smoking, no firearms, and the like)

• instructions to voting officials 

• instructions to voters

• voter information posters and pamphlets 

• ballot envelopes for enveloped ballot system

• spoilt and cancelled ballot envelopes

• adjournment of voting

• summary of voters not on the voters list

• voting day voter registrations

• supervisors checklists

• voting station managers reports--could be a series of separate forms covering all aspects of ballot accounting, voting activity, staff and premise management, or a voting record booklet

Count Recording and Results

• notification of counting times and venues

• reconciliations and movements of voting materials to and from counts (

• counting records, summaries, and reconciliations

• determination and declaration of results  Counting total and result compilation forms must be designed to show all the calculations necessary for a result to be declared; leave nothing to back-of-an-envelope, non-transparent, invisible-to-observers calculations. Results slips, protocols, or minutes should not contain any pre-printed numbers in count columns (e.g., "1" in the thousands column against candidates expected to receive a large proportion of the vote).

Special Voting

Included here are absentee, early, and mail voting, as well as voters requiring assistance:

• information posters and pamphlets for voters

• application for a ballot paper

• instructions for completing the vote

• ballot envelopes and outer envelopes

• records and reconciliations of ballots issued

• reports by managers of special voting locations. This could be a series of separate forms covering all aspects of ballot accounting, voting activity, staff and premise management, or a voting record booklet

Challenges

• statements of challenges

• requests for recounts 

• investigation reports.

Accreditation for Observers and Party Representatives

• applications for accreditation or appointments as representatives

• identification badges

• statements of acceptance of code of conduct

Voter Follow-Up

•  voter fraud statements and investigation reports
•  voter registration confirmations and inquiries (in continuous registration systems)
  
• Compulsory voting inquiries, responses, investigation records, and summaries (in compulsory voting systems)

General Supplies

Apart from the variety of forms, equipment, and information materials supplied to voting stations, there is a wide variety of general supplies required for voting station operations.

Many of these will be standard stationery or supply items that can be acquired as easily through any standard government supply arrangements, or private contractors, without need for modification for election purposes.

However, as for equipment and materials produced specifically for election purposes, it is important that specifications for each general supply item are developed and samples of planned acquisitions tested against these specifications before acquisition. It might only be a plain envelope that is required, but if the form that has to be contained in it won't fit, or it doesn't maintain its seal under election conditions, it becomes useless to supply to a voting station.

Voting stations require general and specific supply items for the effective functioning of a voting station. They deserve as much attention in their acquisition as do other more innovative or customized material. Clearly expressed information materials at the voting station will assist voters and take some pressure off election officials by providing a constantly visible set of information to satisfy potential queries from voters.

The legal framework often specifies the basic directional and procedural information material that must be provided for voters in voting stations. It is appropriate to think beyond these minimum requirements to devise information signs, posters, and pamphlets that enhance efficient processing of voters and assist voters' understanding of how to vote.

When designing this information material the emphasis should be on facilitating quick comprehension. Thus, the use of symbols, diagrams, and pictorial representations, rather than large blocks of text, is important.

Consideration of the needs of less literate voters and of minority language groups is necessary.

Types of Materials

The types and quantities of general supply materials required for voting operations Varies widely according to voting methods and voting station management procedures. There will be little use, for example, in providing pens and pencils for marking ballots where machines or computers are used for voting. However, there will generally be a need for general supplies in some quantities in the following categories:

• office stationery-pens, pencils, note paper for use by polling officials and voters;

• packaging materials-for packing supply kits for dispatch to the voting station, securing materials within the voting station, and return of materials from the voting station;

• emergency lighting, in case of power failure;

Under specific voting methods, there will also be a need for such items as:

• ballot validation tools;

• multiple voting prevention supplies--special inks and, if invisible inks are used, ultraviolet lights;

• tape or rope to seal off areas within or around the voting station;

Voting station information materials basically falls into two categories:

• directional and other advisory material for orienting voters;

• information on voting procedures.

Voting Stations

Outside the Voting Station

It can be useful to provide directional signs to the voting station put up in the surrounding streets, particularly where voting station locations have changed since the last election. Where new premises are being used, it will be helpful to place a notice of where voting is now being conducted outside the former premises. People can be creatures of habit, no matter how much publicity has been given to current voting station locations.

Clear identification of the voting station through the use of an external sign is necessary. If voting station materials are delivered and returned in a large heavy duty bag, the bag can be designed so that it can double as a "Voting Station" sign that can be tied to the front of the premises.

Internal Signs for Voter Control

Signage throughout the voting station that designates different operational areas and provides general information on how voters should proceed throughout the voting station will aid voter flow. Basic signs or posters that would be needed include those that:

• state the hours of voting;

• identify entrances and exits;

• show the geographic area serviced by the voting station;

• identify key areas of the voting station, such as "Queue Here" signs (or if queues are split, the alphabetic or geographic split of the queue), special voting facilities, and the voting station manager's desk.

Signs indicating any required conduct within the voting station (e.g., no smoking, no firearms, prohibitions on campaigning, and the like) should also be provided.

Voting Procedures

Information materials available in the voting station on voting procedures should cover the range of actions required of voters. Specific information materials generally include:

• posters showing how to cast a valid vote, in larger sizes for the voting station walls and smaller to fit in each voting compartment or booth;

• posters advising voters to have their identification documents ready for inspection and showing the identification documents required to be presented;

• posters and handouts on the rights of voters to vote and any challenge mechanisms;

• posters on facilities for physically impaired voters or other voters needing assistance or special facilities;

• posters and handouts on contesting candidates or parties;

• posters indicating the availability and pamphlets explaining the details of special voting facilities available;

• where different ballot boxes are provided for different ballot papers or voter streams, clear signs as to who is to use and what has to be placed into each ballot box;

• in continuous registration systems, information and forms for updating voter registration;

• in complex or new voting systems, posters and pamphlets containing a brief explanation of how the voting and representation system works.

Voting Station materials

Quantities of voter information material required for voting stations depends on the number and characteristics of voters and the size and configuration of the voting station.

While it would be efficient to have voter information material supplies based on standard packs, the need for additional material in specific circumstances must be considered. This could include:

•voting station premises with multiple rooms or more than one entrance and exit;

• local voting populations with significant proportions of voters from minority language groups, first time voters, or voters with specific information needs.

Stationery Supplies

General stationery supplies are likely to include:

• pens and/or pencils: in sufficient quantities for record keeping by each voting official, for marking voters lists, preparing reports, completing voting records. Where ballots have to be manually marked by voters, pens or pencils for each voting compartment will be needed (including sufficient replacements for those that will inevitably disappear during voting). If pencils are used, sharpeners will also be required.

• rulers: to assist voting officials working with voters lists.

• ink and ink pad are necessary: if there are official stamps to be applied to voting materials or records

• note paper: for voting officials

• envelopes: for voting material and forms could be specifically designed and printed for election purposes, or standard stock used. The latter method can be less costly. However, if used, it is highly preferable that stock envelopes either have stick-on labels for use in the voting station or overprinted by the electoral management to provide for standard completion of details such as:

• the voting station to which the material enclosed in the envelope refers;

• the type of material contained in the envelope;

• the election type and date;

• the signature of the relevant voting official.

• staplers/staples, rubber bands, paper clips or similar fastening materials.

Packaging Materials

Packaging methods and materials can vary widely. Packaging needs to include:

Containers used to transport materials to and from voting stations. These could be cardboard boxes or heavy duty sacks for outer containers. It is also useful to provide inner containers i.e. heavy duty envelopes or plastic bags, for packaging the various classes of material for return from the voting station.

Each of these inner containers should either be supplied with a label on which the contents and other relevant election information can be noted, or directly overprinted. Complicated systems of color-coded inner containers and labels tend to confuse more than assist voting officials.

Some jurisdictions supply voting stations with sheets of brown paper in which to wrap materials for return; while economical, this is not necessarily effective.

If counting is to take place at the voting station all this packaging material can be supplied to the voting station. If counting takes place at a separate counting centre sufficient labels, envelopes, and inner packaging appropriate to post-counting packaging (for separation of ballot papers for the different parties or candidates, invalid ballots, forms used at the count) will also need to be supplied to the counting centre.

Methods of fastening the packages e.g. Balls of string or rolls of tape. Corporate printed adhesive tape promotes a professional image but does not add any fastening power for the additional expense. Where separate counting centers are used, additional supplies for use during and after the count will be required.

Security sealing for packages of materials - this can be by paper adhesive seals or security tape. Whichever is used, it should be of the type that is split, and breaks apart when an attempt is made to open the package. What is important is that any attempt to open packages is visible. Where locks are used on ballot boxes, wax may be needed to seal keyholes. Sufficient supplies of security sealing materials need to be acquired to accommodate:

• Packaging of materials following close of voting;

• Any opening and resealing of packages during the count;

• The inevitable further opening and resealing that will occur once voting materials have been returned to storage--for investigations, research purposes, and the like.

Discussion of packaging methods is at Packaging Materials and Equipment for Delivery

Emergency Lighting

Voting stations that will be in operation in hours of darkness will need to be supplied with some form of emergency lighting. This could be torches/batteries, battery or gas powered lamps, or even candles and matches.

Even in highly developed societies, power outages can occur during voting day. For voting locations where portable generators are supplied to provide power and lighting, arrangements for supply of fuel will also be necessary.

Validation Marks

In election systems where each ballot is accountable, the ballot paper is validated on issue by the voting official placing an official mark or signing/initialing the back of the ballot paper.

This can be a cost-effective manner of controlling that only valid ballot papers enter the count, and may preclude the need for special and expensive paper stocks or security print for ballots.

Official validating marks used by voting officials can be perforating instruments or stamps. A different, distinctive mark is preferable for each voting station to enable full accountability and integrity checks during counting. As these are highly accountable items, keep the design secret until use. At all times the validing marker should be kept under strict security at all times.

An official seal may also be used by the voting station manager to validate forms completed in the voting station or the integrity of materials packages to be returned after closing of the voting station. In some systems (though it is not a recommended solution) voters mark their ballot paper with an official stamp to indicate their voting preference. If this system is in use these seals need to be supplied also as a highly accountable item, under strict security.

Multiple Voting Control Equipment

It has become more common in recent years for voters to have some part of their hand marked with ink when they are issued a ballot paper to prevent multiple voting.

Although this is a fairly expensive control to apply, it is appropriate where there is lack of confidence in the quality of the voters lists, or where voters may vote at more than one voting station or where an election is being held for the first time in a post conflict situation.

To ensure the integrity of the process it is important that the ink used is visible and indelible. The disadvantage of this method that it can be a personal safety risk in divided communities as it indicates that the voter has cast his/her vote.

The most commonly used method for using indelible ink is to use ink that can only be detected under ultra violet light (under normal light conditions) Where these are used, ultra violet lamps should be supplied to each voting station with spare bulbs. Battery powered models (with spare batteries also made available) will often be more appropriate to acquire, as they can operate in areas without reliable electricity supply.

If the effort is going to be made to mark voters’ hands with ink, it is important that:

The ink formula is secret- preferably with a different formulation for each election, so that it is not likely that voters will be able to chemically remove the ink before the end of the voting period. To ensure that the most effective ink is used it is often determined to obtain inks from suppliers in another country. Therefore the acquisition program will need to allow for potential time-lags in foreign supply.

The ink does not provide a permanent stain: but wears off within a defined period. Care must be taken, where voting extends for more than one day, that the life of the detectable ink mark is longer than the period during which voters may vote. Similarly if a two-round voting system is used, ink used should be formulated to wear off before the second round of voting or strict instructions need to be given to election officials to mark different sections of the voter's body at the first and second election rounds be followed.

Sufficient quantities of the ink to mark the number of expected voters will need to be supplied in leak-proof, security-sealed containers to each voting station. Supply from manufacturers in the final containers, rather than later repackaging by the electoral management body, is preferable.

Materials Quality Control

Implementation of materials production quality control procedures is vital for ensuring that the electoral management body has sufficient quantities of useable, quality materials for the election.

An effective quality control plan needs to be developed by the electoral management body. Unfortunately, in the effort to complete other urgent election tasks, this is a matter that can often be overlooked.

The practical objectives of, and guiding principles underlying, the quality control plan need to be clearly defined and understood by materials contractors and electoral management body staff.

Materials quality control can be more effective where:

• clear, accurate design specifications are provided to all suppliers by the electoral management body;

• materials are ordered from reputable suppliers;

• suppliers' production methods hold quality accreditation under International Standards Organisation (ISO) or similar standards;

• there is some on-site production monitoring by electoral management body officials. For this reason it will be preferable to use supply contractors within the country.

Quality Control Plan Elements

There are a number of basic steps that need to be included in quality control plans for print and materials production. These include:

• formal sign-off and approval of materials design specifications;

• provision of sample materials, testing of these against the design specifications, and formal approval of samples before full production is commenced (random samples drawn from each production run is advisable, especially print materials, to ensure print legibility and correct print positioning;

• monitoring of materials production quantities and production rates;

• controls over materials movement and security;

• creation of a proper audit trail of decisions on specifications, acceptance of product, and materials movements.

Maintenance of Materials

Where unused materials can be used for future elections, maintenance plans need to be implemented to ensure their future availability and reliability.

Appropriate storage conditions (addressing issues such as security, the effects of heat, dust, dampness, or humidity) and locations must be considered. Particular care needs to be taken with the storage of paper-based materials.

Regular inspections of the condition of materials and inventory of all materials should be scheduled as part of a formal materials quality control plan.