Planning, design, acquisition, and distribution of election materials and equipment for staffing and selection of voting sites is one of the major focuses of the electoral management body in ensuring that all is in readiness for voting day.
In developing supply programmes overall considerations must be that materials and equipment:
• are acquired in accordance with a planned acquisition program (it is essential that there is thorough and early planning of all materials and equipment needs);
• are appropriate for the environment;
• fulfil the legal obligations of the election framework;
• provide adequate security and transparency for all election processes;
• are acquired cost-effectively;
• are easy to use, and, particularly where used by voters, the emphasis is on simplicity in format;
• are monitored comprehensively and regularly to allow continuous assessment of election readiness and early implementation of contingency plans to address deficiencies.
It is extremely important to manage materials and equipment effectively in order to conduct an election that maintains public confidence in the integrity of voting processes and provides a quality service to voters. Failure to supply or late supply of essential materials for use by voters, or poor security in handling of voting materials, can have serious effects on both public perceptions and the actuality of election integrity and can lead to the rejection of election results.
It is prudent that accountability for equipment and materials supply tasks clearly reside with a senior administrator. It is also vital that supply managers are integrated into voting operations policy and management decision-making forums to ensure that procedures developed and adopted are supported by supplies with appropriate functionality, reliability and delivery times.
Importance of Reliable Data
Materials, equipment, and logistics planning cannot proceed effectively without provision of accurate data from other functional areas of electoral management. Early advice of voter registration figures, locations of voting stations, and any changes to voting operations procedures is essential if cost-effective, reliable, and sufficient supplies are to be made available to all voting stations. Important considerations include:
• changes to legislation and voting procedures as they affect the types, timing, and quantities of supplies required. Given the long lead times required for acquisition of some supplies (and subsequent effects on voter education and staff training), it is prudent if a moratorium on legislative or procedural changes affecting voting operations can be instituted for the three months before voting day.
• voter registration figures at national, electoral district, and voting station level, are the essential element in estimating the quantities of each type of material and equipment that will be required. Without early registration data, ensuring sufficient supplies for all voting stations is difficult
• effective logistics planning depends on knowledge of where voting stations are to be located. Late determination of voting station locations will affect not only the calculation of the overall quantities of supplies required, but can result in substantially more expensive forms of transport being required.
The short notice of elections, often given in systems where elections are not for fixed terms, heightens the need for continuous accurate data and a high state of readiness for materials and equipment planning.
Control Measures
Controls on the acquisition, distribution, use, and return of election materials and equipment are necessary to ensure:
• financial probity and the ability to prevent loss of assets;
• readiness assurance, so that election managers are aware at all times of the location, quantity and status of all equipment and materials and can take contingency actions to redress deficiencies.
Essential elements of these controls for materials and equipment controls include:
• clear specifications for all materials and equipment to be acquired;
• approval and maintenance testing programmes;
• a systematic numbering system for all materials and equipment to aid standard identification;
• systems for authorisations of expenditure on materials and equipment;
• simple systems for recording, collating, and examining despatch and receipt data for items at each stage of supply, from manufacture right through to post-voting day return to storage or for destruction;
• systems for restricting access to or allocation of supplies to authorised persons;
• accurate maintenance of asset registers showing quantities, locations, accountabilities for, and condition of voting operations materials and equipment;
• systems for authorising materials and equipment destruction or disposal.
All those involved in supply acquisition and distribution must receive clear instructions on maintaining the audit trial for suppliers, that is suppliers, transport and warehouse workers, polling officials, and electoral management body staff,.
It is important that copies of supply and distribution management summary records are available to managers at the local, regional, and central level so that they are aware of the readiness profiles and to enable effective monitoring of materials supply and distribution.
Lack of controls and proper audit trails on materials and equipment can cause grave problems for electoral management bodies. Acquisition in haste leads to lack of controls or inadequate controls being implemented often where elections are implemented in a very brief time frame, For example without knowing whether supply orders have yet been filled, supplies that have arrived at their destinations, or the quality and condition of supplies makes it difficult to ensure effective voting operations.
Lack of controls and accountability for distribution and control of supplies can affect election integrity if accountable materials are missing, and can cause serious financial loss. Many equipment items used in voting operations such as mobile phones, computer equipment, and vehicles are highly portable and susceptible to theft or loss.
Control of Supply Sources
Controls on sourcing of materials and equipment are also required to provide financial probity, cost-effective acquisitions, and reliability. Necessary controls include:
• transparent competitive bidding procedures to ensure cost-effective purchasing;
• careful consideration of the potential disadvantages of sourcing internationally in terms of sustainability, reliability, length of supply of lines, and cost-effectiveness;
• sourcing only from suppliers willing to enter into performance bonds or guarantees;
• sourcing from suppliers with accredited quality control systems.
Supply Requirements
Voting operations supply requirements entail a complex array of materials and equipment. (For discussion of requirements for major items, see Production of Ballots, Voting Day Equipment and Voting Materials.)
Estimation of quantities of materials and equipment required must allow for all usage, not only what is needed for direct voting day operations.
In particular, consider in-house use by the electoral management body for staff training and other activities, and material and equipment required for public information and education activities. Contingency reserves and wastage must be calculated (for most supplies, generally in the range of 5 to 10 percent).
