Election management is a very complex activity and requires a very large number of staff. Significant advance planning, with clear definition of what categories of staff are needed, what each specific job entails, what sort of person will fill it, and how they will be selected, is crucial. Any structure should have regard to the separate and distinct functions undertaken prior to, during, and after the election.
Each division will seek differing skills, such as:
- lawyers and experienced executives for the legal division;
- trainers and teachers for the training and civic and voter education divisions;
- accountants for the finance division;
- and computer professionals for the information technology division.
Criteria such as terms of qualifications, suitability for work, age, and possibly lack of connection with parties or candidates, are commonly considered in planning the recruitment process. In some cases, many of the posts involved are already specifically identified in laws and regulations – e.g., Returning Officer, Counting Officer, and Polling Officer/Poll Worker —,as are the duties attached to these posts.
