Requisitions and inventories are more usefully prepared as multi-level documents to meet the following needs:
• Master requisitions and inventories for the total supplies required in each area of election administration at local, regional, and central levels;
• Individual inventory and supply requirements for each voting location (including any special voting facilities such as mobile voting stations, mail voting facilities, or foreign country voting locations) and each election administration office.
Use of standard materials packages (see Packaging Materials and Equipment for Delivery) will aid voting station inventory preparation.
Method
Requisition preparation is more effectively undertaken on a bottom-up basis, with voter registration or expected voter turnout data determining the materials and equipment needs for each individual voting location, and then combining these to arrive at a master inventory and requisition requirement.
Master Inventories
Master inventories listing all supplies for an election may be unwieldy if they show the total supply needs for all individual locations and functions in the one document, particularly if prepared manually.
Manual and simple spreadsheet methods, will comfortably handle these master requisitions and inventories if they are designed as a summary sheet which is then broken down into separate pages for supply categories--e.g., voters' lists, election forms, ballots, etc.--showing individual voting location requirements.
Control Function
Voting station inventories play an essential control function in ensuring correct receipt of materials at the voting station. All voting station managers should be provided with copies of the inventory of materials and equipment they are meant to have received, and they should personally check supplies received against it.
A copy of the inventory, noting actual supply quantities and highlighting any shortfalls, can be used as the detailed receipt of delivery and returned to the electoral management body.
Automated Production
Inventories and packaging lists can be effectively produced automatically from expected voter turnout at a voting station or registered voter data, where voting station supplies are based on standard packages (see Packaging Materials and Equipment for Delivery).
Such automated systems could also produce additional items such as packaging labels and ballot box identification numbers and labels.
