Assessment of the suitability of specific sites for voting should be made against a set of standards defined by the electoral management body.
These standards should cover all facets of the requirements for voting. In many areas it may not be possible to find available buildings that fully meet the required standards, or any suitable buildings at all.
In such circumstances, it will be necessary to determine from needs assessments of the available locations whether one of the following alternatives may be employed:
• bring any existing premises up to the minimum standard required for voting purposes;
• arrange for temporary accommodation, in a tent, caravan, portable cabin, or other temporary shelter, for the voting station;
• hold voting in the open.
The latter possibility is generally only feasible where voting stations are expected to accommodate relatively small numbers of voters and where weather conditions are expected to be favourable (though open-air voting facilities may be the norm in societies where there is a tradition of open air local decision-making as part of the cultural fabric).
Personal Inspection
It is highly desirable that a thorough personal inspection of the location be made. It is more effective if such assessments are undertaken by locally-based election administration staff (the electoral district manager or members of the election commission for the electoral district) in the presence of a representative of the location's owner.
It would be preferable that the voting station manager (if already selected) also attend such inspections in order to get a preliminary feel for the capacities of the location.
Reporting on Inspections
Preparing standard reports on these inspections in check list format will assist in assessing suitability and determining areas where additional equipment or facilities must be provided by the electoral management body
Where, due to remoteness or other reasons, it is not possible to make a personal inspection of the location, a report in a standard format should be requested from the owners or their representatives
Issues for Assessment
The issues that need to be considered during such assessments include:
• the suitability of the physical area of the location for an effective layout of the voting station and its capacity to cope with the number of voters expected
• road or other transport access (and in urban areas any parking facilities);
• the facilities that are available--communications, furniture, shelter for waiting voters, secure storage, staff and voter amenities such as toilets and water, reliable power supply and lighting, heating or cooling equipment, ventilation
• suitability for use by frail, elderly, or disabled voters
• in higher security-risk environments, the ability to secure the voting station
• the premises is not disqualified from use for voting by any other activity that may normally be undertaken there that may breach legislative requirements for voting stations, offend the cultural sensitivities of the local community, or raise questions about election integrity
• expected costs of the location and any conditions on its use.
