Additional Voting Station Facilities Required
It is likely that additional voice communications facilities will be required for communication between electoral management body offices and some voting stations.
Voting stations needs assessments should determine the availability of existing telephone connections to voting station premises.
All voting stations should have access to voice communications with the electoral district office. Where fixed lines are not present, the cost and lead time on installation should be assessed against the costs and reception of short-term leased mobile or radio phones.
Local Offices
Electoral district managers’ offices should be set up so that they are capable of conducting business and having lines available for public inquiries. In addition to general office phone links, additional needs would often include:
• a separate, unpublicised line for the electoral district manager to maintain reliable contact with other electoral management body offices;
• rotating lines for public inquiries that can be augmented as inquiries peak towards voting day;
• a line for communicating with voting station managers (or rotary line, depending on number of voting stations being supervised);
• additional lines for communicating results, if this is done by phone;
• a mobile phone or radio on voting day to enable staff to inspect voting stations at some time during voting day and remain in contact with the office;
• for roving voting station supervisors, a mobile phone or radio while they are on duty.
If joint operations centres are established, they will also need to be supplied with adequate phone facilities.
Regional and Central Offices
Assessment of how many additional phone lines will be required, based on estimated operational traffic, will be needed. Current switchboard capacities or the need to provide switchboard facilities will also need to be considered.
Telephone Information Services
The number and configuration of additional phone lines required for any telephone information service for voters will need to be carefully assessed.
A determination needs to be made as to whether this is a local operation in various offices, or whether a call forward options to the first vacant line available in any office will be used., These options will affect the number and location of lines required. Too few lines, resulting in long delays or constant busy signals, will annoy more than assist voters.
