To provide an acceptable standard of amenities for staff (who will be spending a very long day within the confines of the voting station) and for voters, additional equipment may be required. Before doing so electoral management bodies need to ensure that basic services are available at the voting site. Where there are deficiencies the following may need to be obtained:

• lighting, where voting or counting is undertaken after daylight hours;

• toilet facilities;

• drinking water;

• food.

Lighting and associated power generators would preferably be obtained from other government agencies (such as military forces) or leased from private contractors.

Leasing of portable toilets (at a ratio of one to every 400 to 500 voters expected) is preferable to having voting staff, as their first duty on voting day, digging latrines.

There is generally little justification for the purchase of these items, though stocks of small-scale lighting equipment (torches and lamps) can be held by the electoral management body.

Voting stations with no running water available can be assisted by, visits from local government or military water tankers may be arranged. Small quantities of drinking water for use by voting staff may be delivered with voting materials.