Standardized ballots help maintain the secrecy of the vote. The design and type of ballot may affect the integrity of the process. A good ballot design can help ensure that voters locate the candidate of their choice on the ballot and that they mark the ballot so that their intention is clear. Proper ballot design avoids many of the problems that may arise during counting.
There are many types of ballots, including conventional paper ballots and ballots for use in voting machines. Some newer electronic systems have no paper ballot; voters view a screen and press a button to record their choice in the machine’s electronic memory.
The use of mechanical or electronic voting machines makes counting the vote faster, more accurate and economical, and eliminates risks of tampering with the results. Despite this, machines have not substantially changed the voting process. Voters still go in person to the polling station to cast their ballot. In contrast, e voting could change the voting process: the voter would be able to vote from home. This method comes with its own set of election integrity challenges.
Protecting the Integrity of Ballots
For integrity purposes, each ballot needs to:
- have a standardized format so that the name of every candidate or party appears in print of the same size, and is equally visible on the ballot;
- be easily tracked – for example, through a serial number on the stub;
- be complete and simple to understand so that voters can mark the ballot correctly; and
- be non-partisan in the placement of candidates’ names.
In some multicultural societies, the election policy-making body must choose the language used on ballots. The needs of illiterate voters also have to be taken into consideration. Several systems have met these needs by using logos as well as print text to identify candidates and parties. Another option is to add candidates’ photographs to the ballots.
Once the ballot design has been settled, election officers oversee the number of ballots printed and circulated. They need to properly estimate the number of ballots required for each polling station to ensure that everyone who is entitled can exercise his or her right to vote. They must ensure as well that it is difficult or impossible to tamper with ballots or mark them in advance.
Some systems include security features in the ballot design to make unauthorized duplication impossible; an example is the use of special watermarked paper. These features involve additional costs, which may affect the decision on whether to use them.
In other cases, the ballot is authenticated when handed to a voter in order to ensure that the voter returns the same ballot. In Ireland and Kenya, for example, ballots are valid only if they bear an official authenticating mark. In Mexico, after checking to make sure that ballots have not been pre-marked, political party representatives sign the ballots on the back. These measures can deter attempts to provide voters with pre-marked ballots or to replace valid ballots with counterfeit ones.
During storage and distribution, electoral administrators must protect ballots from damage or tampering that would affect their integrity. Good planning as to the number of ballot packages and the quantity of ballots per package can eliminate the need to open and re-handle ballots after delivery from the printer. A good tracking system is essential to protect ballot security.
Voting Machines
When voting machines are used, the same good planning and security mechanisms are required to protect the integrity of the machines. Electoral administrators are responsible for ensuring that only authorized persons have access to the machines during storage or in the pre- or post-voting period, to guard them from programming that would alter the election results.
Mechanical errors may give rise to integrity issues during machine vote counting. A machine cannot determine the intention of a voter if the voter’s mark does not strictly conform to specified requirements.
