Information Issues
There are two key aspects to providing voter information on voting operations integrity.
- The ongoing promotion of the integrity of election processes, which is governed as much by public awareness and judgments of the election management body's performance as any specific voter information, education or image building initiatives.
- Publicizing the measures that will be applied during voting in the period before voting commences to ensure that voting processes are open and transparent, and free of fraud, manipulation or intimidation.
Information Focus
There are some integrity issues that may be reinforced during the period prior to voting day, particularly in environments where there are significant numbers of new participants in voting processes or where open and fair methods of voting have only recently been introduced
Secrecy of the vote is an issue that may require emphasis, particularly in emerging democracies, but also in more traditional societies where male heads of households or traditional leaders are accustomed to an unchallenged decision-making role. In the latter case, reinforcement of the notion of voters marking their own ballot, in a compartment or booth out of view of anyone else, will assist voting officials in their attempts to prevent group or unauthorized proxy voting.
These messages can be combined with voter information on how to complete the ballot correctly, or, where cultural history shows the need for more intensive emphasis, as a separate component of voter information campaigns. (Voter education should also reinforce voting secrecy) Reinforcement by use of posters around the voting booth area in voting stations will also be useful in these environments. Voting station officials may need to emphasize that there are no secret or hidden recording equipment in the voting compartment that will record how the voter has voted.
Voter fraud prevention methods to be applied are another issue that may require specific focus in voter information campaigns related to the integrity of the process.
Where these are administrative controls, publicizing them widely through information campaigns may act as a deterrent. Where they require the active participation of each voter, such as having fingers marked with indelible ink, they can be used both to prepare voters for the process and allay any fears of fraud or reprisal.
For example, inclusion in voting procedures information campaigns that the ink used is invisible to normal sight, or only remains active for a limited period of time, can calm fears that persons who vote are later easily publicly recognizable.
Use of News Media
In more experienced and media-rich democracies, use of news releases and media coverage may be more cost-effective in reinforcing voting integrity issues than producing information material for distribution.
News releases and arrangements with media for stories on issues of public interest in reporting election preparation progress -such as ballot production, voting processes, issue of voter cards, and systems for preventing multiple voting--can all be focused to provide an emphasis on integrity issues.
Special Voting Facilities
For special voting facilities that require enveloped ballots and personal information from voters which can be used to check their eligibility to vote (such as in some systems of absentee or mail voting or for tendered or provisional ballots), voters may fear that this information will be used to determine how they voted.
Voting materials used for these methods of voting would preferably indicate the steps taken to separate voter information from ballot material before ballots are examined. Information material on the availability of such special voting facilities would also indicate how voting secrecy is to be preserved.
