Development of standard reference material for voting operations is required to serve a number functions, including:
• translation of the legal and regulatory frameworks for voting operations into easily understandable terms;
• compendium of standard procedures and good practices for voting operations activities;
• assured and accurate basis from which voting operations staff can provide services to voters;
• basis for training voting operations staff;
• monitoring base against which the extent, timing, and quality of implementation of required tasks can be checked;
• repository of corporate knowledge about voting operations;
• transparent record of the ways in which the electoral management body provides voting services to the public.
Accurate and well-presented reference material provided to all staff and targeted to their specific duties will result in better voter service. Voting staff can be confident that they have correct guidelines for all activities if they have been provided with quality material.
In turn voters can be confident that they are being treated in an equitable fashion according to standard procedures and practices.
Reference material provided by the electoral management body to other participants in the elections, for example, parties or candidates and their representatives, independent observers, security forces, and the media, will assist in ensuring that all participants are fully aware of their roles, rights, and responsibilities in election processes.
Manuals
Formal manuals containing basic reference material are preferable to (see Manuals) ad hoc instructions. Informal ad hoc instructions are more likely to be mislaid and may lack comprehensiveness. During the election period it is advisable that election managers maintain regular formal communication with voting operations staff to monitor:
• overall activity progress;
• any changes to previously arranged procedures or practices (particularly where local variations may arise);
• present and imminent timetabled activities.
Communication in the form of a regular information bulletin during the voting operations period is a useful adjunct to existing reference material.
Checklists
Manuals may also be supplemented (or for less complex tasks, replaced) by task checklists (see Checklists and Cue Cards). Simplifying procedures and tasks to a checklist format enhances ease of understanding and provides a self-monitoring record of task completion. Messages in manuals showing demonstrations of the tasks described in the manuals can be reinforced by use of other visual reference material such as video, posters, or slides.
Development of Manuals
When developing manuals for voting operations, consideration needs to be given to the following basic issues:
Flexibility of format: The expected life and target audience of the manual needs to be carefully considered. If amendments may occur during the life of the manual, for example, a loose-leaf format is preferable and easily included in the existing manual. Breaking subject matter organisation within a manual or series of manuals into sections appropriate to particular staff or discrete tasks is effective.
Verification of accuracy of framework descriptions, and comprehensiveness, appropriateness, and practicality of procedures and practices described. Expert reviews of materials included in the manual are necessary. As manuals are for the use of field operations staff they are best placed to know if the format and instructions are readily understandable and that procedures and practices espoused are practicable and appropriate for the range of field conditions that may experience.
It is good practice to include a range of field operations staff, including local area administrators and assistants, voting station managers and staff, counting staff and client representatives in the development of voting operations manuals. If this is not possible, it is recommended that there should be a review of each manual's contents by such staff and clients prior to formal introduction.
Use of simple language, as well as pictorial representations or diagrams and appropriate examples wherever possible.
Timing of compilation and distribution so as to give staff sufficient time to become familiar with the contents before they have to apply them.
Version control mechanisms to ensure that amendments to manual contents are prepared, and received and understood by all relevant staff.
