The vote counting and tallying of the results is particularly sensitive and vulnerable to misuse and manipulation. It usually takes place immediately after polling stations close. Vote counting and result tallying are very complex processes and thus prone to human error. In most cases, errors in vote counting and tabulation will disadvantage some parties more than others, and it may be hard to establish whether the error is a consequence of human error or a deliberate act. In cases where political actors, civil society and international observers are obstructed in their work, suspicions may build to the point where this has the potential to deepen conflicts and lead to violence.

Empirical cases:

• Mongolia parliamentary election 2008. The vote counting and reporting process was very lengthy, primarily due to high voter turnout and the large number of voters assigned to each voting station. The delay aroused people’s distrust and contributed to a perception of electoral fraud, thereby triggering violent protests that resulted in the destruction of the incumbent government’s party headquarters as well as 60 civilian and police casualties, among them five fatalities, during an ensuing period of state of emergency.[1]
  
  Interrelated factors: inadequate electoral administrative rules (internal); environmental hazards (external).[2]