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.
