While the use of manually counted paper ballots is still the most common method of voting, automated methods of voting and vote counting are becoming more accessible and effective, and more countries are opting to use them. Automated technology can be cheaper, faster, and more accurate than manual counting. It can also improve the democratic process by making the counting of complex electoral systems easier to use.
Technological approaches can be used to replace traditional paper ballots. Voting directly using mechanical or electronic devices, or using machine-readable ballots, can eliminate the need to count ballots manually and greatly speed up the counting process, as well as ensuring and increasing accuracy.
Before deciding to implement a computerized voting and/or counting system, an electoral management body might consider these questions:
If the answer is yes to most of these questions, it may be worth studying the costs and benefits of a machine based voting system. However, the following drawbacks should also be considered:
Environmental factors, such as humidity, may not allow machines to operate properly.
(For further information see Elections and Technology)
Using Technology to Assist Manual Vote Counting
Computing technology is often used to count the results of manual ballot counts, to produce summaries at the counting centre, and regional, or national level. Standard off-the-shelf office software products, such as spreadsheet or relational database software, can be used to aggregate individual counts and produce summary totals and various reports, either in paper or electronic format. Computer vote counting systems require care to function correctly. Faulty calculations, data entry errors, or loss of data can seriously compromise the conduct of an election.
Rigorous testing is necessary to ensure electronic election systems work flawlessly before they are placed in production, even if they are to be used only to compile preliminary results, or used only for a short time. It is precisely because electronic voting systems are used on a single day that they must be exhaustively tested. By contrast, voter registration exercises typically run for 30 or 60 days and offer some opportunity for mitigation of issues that arise (for example - software updates in the field or modifications of processes notified by bulletin).
Data entry forms should be designed to minimize errors and to facilitate the data entry process. It is common practice to design data input forms so that they mirror the data entry screen. Training of persons who manually complete these forms must stress the importance of legibility and arithmetic accuracy.
As with any vote counting process, it is crucial that checks and balances be built into any computerized counting system. Clear audit trails should be in place to track the progress of the count. Balancing figures should be used to check that output results are consistent with inputs. For example, it should not be possible to calculate a total vote figure for any level of counting that is higher than the number of ballot papers issued to voters at that level, or at least the system should flag this anomaly for investigation by the EMB or other certifying authority.
Data entered into a computerized vote counting system should always be checked against the original input data. This can be done after the data has been imputed, by checking this data against the input documents, or by entering each set of data twice, using different operators to produce a parallel count.
Contingency plans should also be built into any computerized vote counting system. Data should be regularly backed up (and stored off-site if the counting proceeds for some time). Spare hardware should be available in case of hardware failure.
Where budgets allow, disaster recovery sites, where core election information systems can be up and running quickly, in the event of a total loss of the main EMB site can be considered. IT support staff should be on hand if problems arise. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and long duty-cycle standby generators with adequate fuel should be available to guard against power failure, even in the most developed countries.
Power supplies should be protected against power surges that can corrupt or destroy computer files. Even simple steps, such as regularly saving live data from RAM memory to hard disk, are sometimes overlooked, and can cause serious problems.
Worst-case scenarios should also be anticipated. It is wise to be able to switch to a completely manual operation if the computer system fails and cannot be recovered. Portable calculators are valuable emergency devices.
Technology for Voting and Counting Processes
Over the last thirty years, various voting machines have been developed using the available technology. In the 1950s and 1960s, punch-card machine systems were developed. Voters should punch cards (with a supplied punch device) opposite the candidates' names they selected. The cards were placed into a sealed ballot box and, after the close of voting, tabulated by card counters.
In the 1970s, optical-scanners or Optical Mark Reading (OMR) systems were developed. Using this system, voters make a mark on a paper ballot to indicate their choice of candidate or issue. A scanning device reads the marked entries and calculates vote totals. These systems can count ballots as they are deposited, or count ballots only after the close of voting.
More recently, a new type of system, called the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system has been developed. This system records votes by means of a ballot display provided via mechanical or electro-optical devices that can be activated by the voter. Once the voter has made his ballot selections, the device processes the data with a computer programme, and records voting data and ballot images into internal memory devices. It can produce a tabulation of the voting data as a hard copy printout, or store it in a removable memory device.
Technology and Complex Electoral Systems
Voting directly, using mechanical or electronic devices, or machine-readable ballots, is relatively straightforward where simple electoral systems are used, such as first past the post or list systems. In these cases, voters are able to indicate their choices in a relatively simple way, for example, by making one mark or pulling one lever.
It is more difficult to use these methods in complex electoral systems that permit many multiple-choice responses, or require candidates or parties to be ranked in numerical preference. As technology improves, it is likely that effective methods will be available to meet the needs of these systems.
Deciding to Use Technology to Communicate Results
Some jurisdictions have experimented with communication systems that use computer-assisted technology, where the voting station official enters the election results on the key pad of a telephone or similar device connected to a results-counting computer located at a remote centre. A paper-based balloting system and manual counting procedure are still used; automation is limited to the communication and collection of results from polling stations.
Internet and World Wide Web
As access to public computer networks increases, electoral officials may post future election results directly on the World Wide Web, or other interface on the emerging information highway. Already tested in some jurisdictions with varying degrees of success, election results can be posted instantaneously to a global audience using the Internet.
