When ballots are sorted, the counting officer needs to distinguish a valid ballot from an invalid. Each ballot in the ballot box needs to be verified. The ballot paper can be excluded because the ballot is either a counterfeit, which is less common, or a genuine ballot that has not been properly authenticated by ballot paper issuer.

Counterfit Ballots

In some jurisdictions, security paper is used for ballots. This paper contains a watermark or other form of unique identification (special colour, lines, symbols, markings or logos) making the ballot virtually impossible to counterfeit. The texture, thickness, colours, size, and format of the ballot are also indicators that separate a valid ballot from counterfeits.

The counting officer should know where to look on the ballot to be sure of its authenticity. If he or she does not recognize the ballot, or the ballot does not have the official identification, then it should not be included in the count. It should not be destroyed but kept as invalid ballot in an envelope or file for that purpose.

Authenticating Ballots

To speed up the process of authenticating the ballots, certain jurisdictions require that the counting officer adds his/her initials in a space provided at the back of the ballot before handing it to the voter.

Other jurisdictions provide a validating stamp at the voting station for every ballot to be stamped before handing it to the voter. During counting, a ballot without a stamp is rejected. If the initial system is used and the initials on the ballot are not from the counting officer, then it should be set aside and not counted as a valid ballot. If no initials are on the back of the ballot, but the counting officer recognizes that he or she issued the ballot, he or she can then initial it, and the ballot can be counted as valid.

This measure of adding the counting officer’s initials at the back of the ballot can help to identify valid ballots from counterfeit. The counting officer should always use the same colour of pen or pencil when adding his or her initials. This problem will not exist when a validating stamp is used as described above.

All ballots must be kept, even if they are not valid. No ballots should be destroyed, as an audit trail of all ballots considered must be assembled in such a way that the count can be fully reconstructed.

If there is any doubt, the counting officer should be able to verify the basis of his other decision with the electoral management body, before taking the decision to reject a ballot as counterfeit. Rejecting a ballot on the basis that it is counterfeit is an important decision and should be made after careful consideration, as it may have political consequences.