Election day operations are designed to facilitate the process of casting a ballot for all eligible voters. The level of participation and time constraints make election day operations very complex. In many countries, more than half of the population will vote on election day. This process is managed by a large number of male and female electoral management officials and staff and the security sector agencies’ personnel. Political parties, civil society groups and international organizations provide a presence in electoral facilities across the country to scrutinize and testify to the integrity of the voting process.

Problems and irregularities that take place on election day have effects that are difficult to repair afterwards. If the margin of victory is expected to be narrow, even the smallest irregularity or perception of irregularity may spark conflict and/or violent reactions. Due to the short time in which voting takes place, problems that emerge on election-day may be compounded during the days following the actual voting.

Empirical cases:

• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia municipal elections 2000. International observers reported several irregularities during election day. In a number of cases, ballot boxes were destroyed, thereby preventing voters from casting their ballot. In the municipality of Debar, all 24 polling stations had to close due to violent incidents such as threats against election officials. In other municipalities voting had to be temporarily suspended in order to restore order.[1] 
  
  Interrelated factors: poor socio-economic conditions (external);[2] social and political exclusions (external); the presence of organized crime (external); the presence of non-state armed actors (external).[3]