• strict controls need to be exercised over the implementation of delivery plans for voting station materials and equipment to ensure that materials and equipment arrives at each location
• in time,
• according to planned delivery schedules;
• in the correct quantities;
• security is maintained throughout.
Delivery to voting stations can generally be more effectively undertaken from central or regional packaging centres than from local offices.
Delivery methods will vary according to available resources and the security environment. In low security risk, urban areas, it can be cost-effective for voting station managers to pick up their voting station's materials, apart from bulky equipment, from the electoral district management office.
This could be combined with a refresher briefing session for managers in the days before voting day. Highly accountable materials could be stored in local secure storage until voting day. However, this method is only suitable in environments of low security risk and high public trust.
It would be more usual, and prudent, to arrange for secure delivery of all voting station materials through transport contractors. In some circumstances, assistance from the military or other state agencies with widespread available transport resources can be a cost-effective means of delivery. However, this would only be suitable where such agencies are publicly accepted as non-partisan.
Timing of Delivery
It is preferable that all equipment and materials are present at the voting station or with the voting station manager at the latest on the day before voting day. In rural areas, slightly earlier delivery may be necessary to ensure enough time for the resupply of any deficiencies.
However, delivery too early to voting stations, especially in areas of higher security risk, increases the potential for loss of or tampering with supplies. Public perceptions of election integrity may also suffer if liable voting material is stored for longer periods outside of high security stores.
Voting station delivery arrangements will be made more complex and costly where there are delays in materials supply, or where essential items cannot be produced until immediately before voting day (e.g., in systems where certified voters lists are open until the day before voting day).
The effects on materials delivery reliability and costs should be assessed when determining procedural and legal frameworks and production schedules for voting materials preparation.
Delivery Documentation and Receipt
Deliveries of materials for voting stations should always be accompanied by delivery documentation specifying the types and quantities of materials delivered. This would preferably be a full/partial copy (depending on the delivery method adopted) of the standard "materials pack" contents list or materials/equipment inventory prepared for each voting station.
It is best that voting station managers are on hand to take delivery of their voting station's materials. Receipts should be issued for all materials delivered.
This acknowledgment of delivery should be returned to the electoral district management office. Receipts returned to the electoral management body may need to be completed in two stages:
• An initial acknowledgment of receipt of the delivery.
• A formal notification that all materials have been correctly supplied, after the voting station manager has checked.
This detailed notification is an essential part of maintaining a verifiable audit trail for all liable materials and equipment.
Checking Material on Receipt
It is vital that voting station managers thoroughly check the materials against the inventory of expected supplies for their voting station as soon as the materials are received, and immediately advise their electoral district manager of correct delivery or of any discrepancies.
Electoral district managers should monitor that these reports are received.
Deficiencies would require prompt implementation of contingency plans for materials ressupply (see Contingency Plans
Even materials delivered in pre-packaged "pack" form can contain errors in quantities or materials missing on delivery. Special attention needs to be paid to:
• Ballot boxes, to ensure the correct number and type have been delivered, and that ballot box serial numbers or other codes are correct for that voting station;
• voters lists, to ensure the correct list, or lists, have been delivered for that voting station and that they are complete, without missing or misprinted pages;
• ballots, to ensure complete supply and that no numbered ballots or ballot booklets are missing;
• ballot box seals or locks, particularly that locks have the correct keys;
• other accountable materials, such as voting station seals or perforating instruments for validating ballots, and ink and associated equipment for marking voters, where used;
• voting compartments, to ensure that they are functioning and present in the correct quantity;
• Essential general supplies, such as pens and pencils, where these are to be used to mark ballots, legally-required instructions to voters, and packaging for used and unused accountable voting material.
Even counter foiled, numbered ballot booklets can have missing ballots. Loosely packed ballots or ballot envelopes, particularly without numbered counterfoils, are even more susceptible to error in post-production packaging in standard bundles. It is essential that ballots, or, where relevant, ballot envelopes received at each voting station are counted on delivery and any discrepancy between delivery notices and actual stocks received formally noted in ballot accounting records.
These figures would then be used as the starting point for all subsequent ballot/ballot envelope accounting calculations.
For non-accountable and general purpose materials, an exact check count would not be necessary.
It is also important that equipment necessary for voting station operations, such as voting machines or computers, lamps for detecting invisible ink marks on voters, bar code readers for voter identification cards, or emergency power generators are installed and tested as soon as possible after receipt. To leave this testing on site until the morning of voting day may leave insufficient time for replacement or repair.
