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.