Once
the count for each ballot box is over and the ballot box is sealed, all the
ballot boxes will be transferred to the planned storage location for ballot
boxes that have been counted.
This
storage space should be secure. Ballot boxes will be kept at this place until
final results are known and accepted by all participants. In the case of a
recount, the electoral management body will send instructions to the counting
centre about what to do with the ballot boxes that will need to be recounted.
Until then, all ballot boxes stay in the counting centre.
A
spreadsheet, with all the ballot box numbers, should be used to control the
storage of all ballot boxes. The supervisor responsible for the ballot boxes
(once they are counted) should verify that the seals are properly attached and
that the statement of the vote is attached to the ballot box in a sealed
envelope. The EMB should also be able to show that the chain of custody of the
sensitive election material has remained intact throughout the election results
process.
A
sticker or other form of identification should then be put on the ballot box to
indicate that the control check was done and the ballot box is ready for
storage.
The
supervisor should append his initials or signature to both the spreadsheet and
identification sticker indicating that the control measure has been taken.
Ability to Subsequently Check Results Received
Ability
to subsequently check the results received against separate documentation is
essential to avoid mistakes, and to prevent fraudulent manipulation of
electoral results. The chain of custody should show who was responsible for the
ballot box at each step of the results process.
A copy
of the cumulative statement of the vote of each counting centre should be sent
separately to the national office of the electoral management body, in a sealed
envelope, and a comparison with first results received should be done once the
original is received.
If
serious fears of fraud exist, a special tamper-evident paper can be used for
the cumulative statement of the votes for each counting centre. This dark
coloured paper (dark blue for example) immediately shows if the initial
inscription is modified.
If the
person simply made a mistake in completing the form at the counting centre,
then the pre-determined dedicated correction officer should fill out a
correction form, which will be attached to the original results form. The
correction form will be shared with representatives of political parties and
candidates and observers and made public at a predetermined location.
