When identifying premises it is highly preferable that premises that already have sufficient furniture on site are used as voting stations. Schools, in particular, are likely to meet furniture needs. Delivering and retrieving furniture from voting stations, particularly bulky items such as tables, can be costly.
Sources of Additional Furniture
The following sources can be considered when additional furniture is required for voting sites:
Other government sources: Loan or rental may be arranged from other government agencies. Government surplus stores may also hold stocks of useable furniture.
Private furniture leasing contractors
Purchase of disposable corrugated cardboard furniture. Disposable cardboard two-person tables for voting officials, crowd control barriers, and rubbish receptacles have been developed in some jurisdictions.
Costs for tables, in particular, can compare favorably with leasing costs for durable items, especially when transport is considered.
For examples of design specifications for disposable corrugated cardboard furniture for voting stations, see the following:
It is very unlikely that there will be any justification for the Electoral Management Body to purchase durable furniture for voting station use although in some less developed environments the purchase of furniture may be the only option to ensure that voting stations can function effectively if there is insufficient private leasing or other government stocks available.
If furniture does have to be acquired, specifications would preferably ensure that it is of future wide utility in other public sector activities.
Furniture Requirements
The amount of furniture required for a voting station depends on the staffing levels and numbers of expected voters. The essential basic requirements include:
• Tables and chairs available in good condition and sufficient for use by voting staff, in voting compartments (if required), as ballot box stands (if required), party or candidate representatives and observers, and to provide seating for elderly or physically challenged voters;
• Barriers to direct voter traffic flow and maintain queue control, as simple and cost-effective as rope strung between poles or as corporate image conscious as the cardboard equipment whose specifications are linked above.
Additional furniture requirements, such as secure storage cabinets and waste bins, may also be useful.
