Within the boundaries of the voting station, however defined, effective control over security can only be achieved if there is clarity about the respective roles and responsibilities of both voting station officials and security forces.
Linking voting station officials and security forces chains of command through local or regional joint operations centres (see Operations and Security Centres) allows better coordination of their respective roles.
Lower Risk Environments
Under normal circumstances, control of the voting station is an election management issue and, therefore, is a matter for the voting station manager. If security forces are to be present within the voting station, it should preferably be at the voting station manager's invitation in response to a specific occurrence, and security forces would normally leave when the occurrence has been resolved.
In low security risk environments, security forces may operate from their normal bases; as risks increase, dispersed operational security bases or rapid reaction forces (see Rapid Reaction and Reserve Forces) may be necessary.
Presence of Security Forces
However, many elections are held under conditions that do not approach normal circumstances, and different models may need to be applied, depending on the risk analysis for the particular voting station or its region. In determining whether there should be a security force presence inside voting stations, the basic factors to be considered include:
• the level of risk;
• the intimidating effect that security forces within voting station may have on voters;
• the cost-effectiveness of internal versus external security presence.
These factors cannot be considered in isolation, though voters' and officials' safety considerations are of paramount concern. Where high risks of violence towards voters or officials--particularly bomb threats, potential ballot box theft, blatant favouritism by election officials--have been established, a security force presence inside voting stations needs to be carefully considered.
Against this, consideration needs to be made of the effect this presence will have on voters, dependent on the established professionalism and integrity of security forces. It is important that voting station security is maintained. It is equally important that the presence of uniformed police or armed forces, or close supervision of voters' actions by administrative authorities, does not in and of itself influence or intimidate voters.
Particularly where local executive authorities or security forces are perceived as being biased towards or against some political participants, their very presence in the voting station may be intimidating.
Lastly, consideration needs to be given to the cost-effectiveness of a security presence inside voting stations as opposed to outside. Generally, having more mobile security forces stationed outside voting stations is more cost-effective. Where risks are such that security forces are needed near all voting stations, it may be more cost-effective, for example, in terms of communications equipment needs, to have some presence inside.
Powers of Voting Station Officials
In all cases, it is essential that administration of election procedures remains the province of voting station officials, and security forces deal only with potential or actual breaches of the peace and disasters. This boundary of responsibility can easily become blurred; for example, in screening people attempting to enter the voting station so that only authorised persons enter.
There may be a need for security forces to assist with this, especially in societies where personal weapons are routinely carried and need to be removed before entry, but the decision on
admission or rejection should be that of the polling official. The actual enforcement may be made by security personnel.
Security Force Role
What are the roles at voting stations that are better specifically reserved for security forces? While not exhaustive, the following listing provides a guide:
• providing security for election materials at the voting station between time of delivery and commencement of voting;
• sweeping for explosive devices in and around the voting station before, during, or after voting;
• searches for and control of weapons;
• action against any voting station officials whose breaches of their code of conduct endangers public order or safety;
• closing down any unauthorised or phantom voting stations;
• when present, protection of safety and evacuation following disasters (fire, explosion, etc.);
• if justified by risk analyses, maintaining site perimeter security during voting and the ballot count;
For other tasks, security forces are generally better used as the back-up to voting station officials' actions. These would include:
• removal of aggressive, intoxicated, otherwise impaired, or unauthorised persons from the voting station who have refused to move at the request of voting station officials;
• protection of ballot boxes, ballots, and other election material.
