The effective management of a voter registration campaign involves staffing and training at headquarters and in local offices. The central election authority is more likely to be staffed by permanent, long-term employees, with conditions of employment set by civil service guidelines. Alternatively, these positions may be under the authority of an electoral commission that is formally independent of government.

Locally, the task of hiring and training registration staff is probably the most important mission of administrative officers before actual registration begins (whether through enumeration, registration centres or the mail). In a periodic list system, most of the registration workers will be hired for a short time. Many positions can be filled by people who need not be highly skilled. However, the calibre of local registration staff is likely to be an early indicator of the success or integrity of the election itself. For example, field office workers have very specific responsibilities during the brief registration period. Having to repeat any step of the registration process would be inefficient and would raise suspicions of questionable behaviour.

Enumerators and other staff at local registration centres are usually the only election officers whom voters meet. They are the public face of the entire election management body. They must behave properly toward the public. At the same time they must be prepared to deal with people who engage in improper behaviour. For example, someone may attempt to circumvent registration procedures by misleading a registration official.

Local officials need to be able to answer the questions most commonly asked. They also need to know when and how to pass questions to their supervisors.

Types of Workers

The types of workers required for registration will depend on the method of data collection. A system based on enumeration involves a somewhat different approach from a system using registration centres. In some countries, the political parties or candidates may provide names of potential enumerators. Safeguards may be put in place to ensure the impartiality of those hired in this way; for instance, they may work in bipartisan teams. When voters register by mail, registration workers may function in a more anonymous atmosphere.

There are, however, some common staffing requirements for each registration method. At the head of the local organization is a registrar or lead registration officer – whatever the official title may be – who has overall responsibility for the successful completion of registration in that district. The registration officer may be assisted by an assistant registration officer, deputy registrar or assistant office manager. There are three separate functions under the responsibility of the lead registration officer, and a separate team of workers may be assigned to each. They are:

• enumeration
• list production (including data processing)
• list revision

Hiring

One of the key responsibilities of the local election authority is to hire local staff. Some of the responsibility may be delegated to different staff members. Hiring procedures may vary; for example, in some places enumerators are selected from lists of names submitted by the party offices, while in other places this approach would be viewed as overly partisan. What matters is that voters have trust in the system of registration, and see it as fair and impartial. If the selection of workers from a list of names submitted by parties is viewed as illegitimate, it should simply be avoided. In any event, each person hired must clearly understand that working as an election officer is a non-partisan activity. It may be useful for the registrar to have a list of employment agencies in the district, in case these must be approached to meet staffing needs.

Training

The central election authority can facilitate staff training by providing training manuals and organizing training sessions. Each employee’s responsibilities should be clearly outlined, and the way the responsibilities are to be implemented should be reviewed and discussed. The training session is an excellent opportunity to remind workers that they are very important to the overall integrity of the election.

Remuneration

The local election authority is responsible for ensuring that employees are properly paid for their activities, according to a fair and standardized scale. The remuneration protocol should set out the rate of pay for each position, as well as expectations regarding hours of work and completion of tasks. The protocol should make clear whether the remuneration is based on performance or simply on an hourly rate. A performance-based system, for example, might provide enumerators with a fixed payment for each completed registration form, perhaps in addition to a set hourly rate or a flat fee. Performance-based remuneration may be intended to increase work quality by making it in employees’ interest to complete the registration of as many voters as possible in their division or administrative unit. The danger is that enumerators might be encouraged to add names fraudulently in order to receive higher payment.

Travel Expenses

Some voter registration initiatives may require travel by employees or volunteer workers; for instance, they may be asked to make door-to-door visits outside their immediate neighbourhoods, to establish a registration centre in another locality or to operate a mobile registration unit. When travel is required for work purposes, the overall remuneration package should set out a system of reimbursement for travel costs. Usually this includes a standard payment per kilometre of work-related travel, a standard amount of funds that can be used for accommodations, and a per diem allowance for food and miscellaneous expenses. Limits and standards help ensure that funds are spent responsibly, in accordance with the overall policies of the election authority.

Honesty and Integrity

Local election workers play an essential role in safeguarding the legitimacy of a voter registration system as well as the election itself. They must be reminded of the importance of performing their duties with honesty and integrity, not to mention the consequences of dishonest or illegal conduct. All employees and volunteers may be required to take an oath or affirmation of service, formally agreeing to be bound by lawful and ethical conditions and standards.

Continuous Register

In a system with a continuous list, staff selection and training may differ in a number of ways:

• The continuous list needs more ongoing staff. In a periodic list system, the election authority hires large numbers of employees during the registration spike and dismisses them when they complete their tasks, often within months of hiring. Very few employees under the periodic list system remain with the election authority after the registration drive ends. In a continuous list system, regular maintenance of the list makes it necessary to have ongoing staff.
• The larger number of employees with a longer-term contract increases opportunities for professional development programs and generally fosters a more professional approach to voter registration management.
• With larger numbers of employees hired for longer periods, there is greater likelihood that staff will have received training, or could receive training, in election management procedures.
• A more professional staff will be better prepared to meet the responsibilities involved in list maintenance, tracking and auditing.
• The continuous voters list is more likely than the periodic list to be computerized, although either system could function without computerization. With increased computerization of voter registration procedures, the election authority must be able to service and upgrade computer equipment. To do this it needs more long-term staff.