This question is posted by ACE on behalf of an ACE user. 

In Mexico, polling stations are staffed by volunteers drawn from the electoral register. Presiding officers receive training from the electoral commission. This model is not only cost-effective, but contributes to citizen ownership of the process. In some areas, there has been a reduction in enthusiasm for volunteering as a polling official, and there even some who attend the training and then do not take up the function. What other countries have relevant experience in this field and could supply ideas or even information and training materials that could encourage participation as polling officials? 

Additional information on this phenomenon can be found here. 

 

 

Summary of Replies: 

Practitioners discussed a variety of methods of staffing polling stations with citizens. The consensus was that most countries do not require citizens to work polling stations, and while two practitioners referenced unpaid volunteers drawn from the register, the majority of countries pay polling station workers. There was also consensus on non-partisan requirements of volunteers, who cannot be working on behalf of political parties at the same time. One practitioner suggested that volunteers should sign performance contracts to guarantee commitment.

  

Countries that draw unpaid volunteers from the register: 

In Ecuador, polling stations are staffed with volunteers who are summoned from the electoral roll. Staffers are then trained for three days and given time off from their jobs to work the polls. The training includes simulating ballots (including registration, voter verification, and making their work available to the public).  There used to be a $20 payment, but the practice ended after too many complaints of workers not receiving payments. In Spain, working at polling stations is considered a public duty and citizens can be summoned to work (with excuses for health or other issues). Polling stations are staffed with one chairperson and two workers under them.

 

Countries that pay citizens as polling station staff: 

In Kenya, citizens are recruited as paid polling clerks and officials in their districts. Moving volunteers to other districts can help avoid influence, but is expensive.  Volunteers are paid after the elections. In Sierra Leone and Zambia, citizens may apply for different publicly advertised polling staff positions according to their qualifications. Staff are paid and trained. One practitioner said that polling staff in Sierra Leone are paid an average wage of $8/day (the national minimum wage is $100 / month). All staff sign contracts agreeing to be impartial and not to accept gifts. At the most local level in Georgia, polling station staff are elected or appointed to temporary paid positions.

Practitioners noted that in Cameroon, polling stations are run by an independent and non-partisan chairperson designated by the EMB. Stations are staffed by representatives of parties and candidates. All staff are trained and paid. In addition to the staff, polling stations appoint four citizens from the electoral roll to serve as scrutineers. If representatives of political parties or candidates are absent on election day, more volunteers from the roll (who are literate in English and French) will be appointed to oversee the election on behalf of that candidate or party. Citizens are encouraged to apply for polling staff positions and are incentivized with high wages.

The EMB in Ghana recruits a presiding officer and polling station staff from the public. All parties are invited to send observers to polling stations, but these observers are often either not sent or chased away from polling stations by the opposition. A practitioner noted that there have been allegations of political parties influencing elections by infiltrating polling station staff with party sympathizers. They further noted that it is difficult to know when declaration forms filled poorly or omitted are due to this infiltration. Re: Polling stations staffed by citizens

 

Countries that pay teachers (and students) as polling staff: 

Several practitioners reported cases of countries primarily using teachers and/or students to work polling stations. The Democratic Republic of the Congo pays school staff a two-day flat rate to run polling stations. School prefects manage the stations and teachers work under them. There is a minimum of five workers per station, and, given the number of polling stations nationwide, the cost is high. Comoros and Sierra Leone both draw heavily from teachers and students for polling stations. In Niger, polling station presidents and secretaries must hold an undergraduate degree and be at least 18 years old on election day.

New Zealand too uses schools as polling stations, with teachers and other school staff often working elections there. Volunteers are paid a flat rate to train and then to work at polling stations. Staff who work in electorate headquarters and/or during advance voting are paid hourly. Observers may volunteer at stations to oversee polling on behalf of candidates or parties. Polling stations have a minimum of two staff and can have over ten for more crowded districts. In some areas there are too many volunteers, in some areas too few. Extensive participation in a political party disqualifies anyone from working, and workers can be disqualified if they fail their training. In The United Kingdom, too, volunteers must be non-partisan, and cannot have canvassed for any party or candidate that election.

One practitioner noted that in The United States, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, parties and candidates may have one or two observers at each polling station. In The United States, volunteers are used during election day as staff and observers, and are paid according to their local jurisdictions or states. In South Africa, workers may report any anomalies or wrongdoing, but cannot communicate with anyone outside polling stations until results are tallied.

 

Countries that primarily use state officials in polling stations:

In the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and the majority of countries in Africa government workers are used as polling officials and work with the Electoral Commission. Private officials can be used as well- in Senegal, for example, private citizens are used only as a last resort and are paid. These citizens are typically teachers and health workers, and must be known for their impartiality. In Nigeria, citizens work with EMB staff in polling stations. Many of the volunteers are government employees. Volunteers work in stations outside their home districts unless by special arrangement, which is meant to reduce the possibility of influence on polling station staffers by people they know.

Using government works helps minimize fraud and deal with allegations thereof. It also helps maximize quality, because state officials and the Electoral Commission have expertise. Another practitioner noted that in OCSE countries, parties and candidates have representatives on polling station committees, and that Commonwealth countries use government employees as polling station staff. The practitioner asked if there is any documentation of the exact practices in those countries.

 

Contributing Members:

• Aka Komenan Dore
• Kisimba Lumbwe Albert
• Robert Marsh
• Enira Bronitskaya
• Mulle Musau
• Abdul Aziz Mbond
• Francisco Morales Gomez
• Olivia Tamon
• John David Bennett
• Ivo Mbuagbaw Baiye Nyuo
• Aiah Stephen Mattia
• Rusudan Ananiashvili
• Nchimunya Michelo Silenga
• Kobby Gomez-Mensah
• Mauricio Forero
• Said Soilihi Youssouf
• Dr. Noor Mohammad
• Charles Obot
• Amadou Tidjani Abdou
• Ababacar Fall
• Amin S. Wasike Yusuf
• Jeffrey Khathutshelo Radzilani
  

En ce qui concerne le personnel ou agent de bureau de vote, en Cote d'Ivoire et dans la majorité des pays en afrique , l'état met à la disposition de la Commission Electorale la liste des fonctionnaires de l' etat et souvent completé par des fonctionnaires du privé. Cela pour eviter les cas de vols de materiel electoral,de fraude electorale, et un personnel de qualité car les fonctionnaires avec leur matricule, en cas de pertes de materiel , la commission electorale peut saisir l' etat pour restitution du materiel et on peut saisir son compte pour un remboursement, dans le cas ou l'agent est accusé d'une fraude electorale , la Commission electorale peut mieux dilligenter une enquete, enfin les fonctionnaires de l' etat on de l' experience et en general une connaissance scolaire et universaire reconnue par l'etat...Voila  les raisons du choix des fonctionnaires de l'etat comme agent de bureau de vote en Cote d'Ivoire et dans ceratins pays Africains en general.

L’expérience de la RDC, depuis les élections de 205-2006, referendum et élections générales, il a été fait recours aux personnel enseignants des écoles où seront implantées les bureaux vote et le Préfet de l’école fait chef du centre de vote, qui peut contenir plus de 5 bureaux de vote. Mais ils sont rémunérés forfaitairement pour deux jours. Au vu du nombre des bureaux de vote le coût est toujours très élevé, les dernières élections étaient organisées dans plus de soixante-deux  milles bureaux de vote avec un effectif minimum de plus 5 agents par bureau. 

New Zealand recruits staff from the general population.  It is a paid job, with applicants completing an online application form which asks about their skills, previous electoral experience (if any) and political involvement among other things for vetting purposes.  Prominent participation in a political party or movement is a disqualification.  In some areas many more applicants apply for these roles than are needed, in others the Returning Officers can struggle to find enough staff for all of the polling places in their electorates.

These staff are paid a fixed fee, dependent on their role, to attend training and for their work on election day.  Staff working in electorate headquarters and during the advance voting period are paid an hourly rate.  All staff receive training and a few are rejected at that point if they are not able to demonstrate that they will be able to discharge their duties.  

Voting places are staffed by a minimum of two staff, with urban voting places sometimes having 10 or more.  Voting places may also be attended by scrutineers (political observers) for political contestants (candidates and parties), who are usually unpaid volunteers. 

Returning Officers can require schools to be voting places and often teachers and other school staff will take up positions in those voting places.

In Spain to be member of PS is a public duty for which you can be summoned based on VL. Only for serious reason as being busy at the place of work or health issues can be taken into consideration for being released from this duty.  PS commission consists of three such member - chairperson and two members.

In Kenya the closest to staffing of polling stations with citizens is the EMB policy of recruiting locals (but paid up) to works as polling clerks and officials. This helps the EMB in verification of voters as well as reduces costs for putting up staff within these areas. The concept of citizen volunteers is still alien especially in many parts of Africa.

In Cameroon, every polling station shall have a local polling station commission comprising a chairperson, appointed by the EMB, a representative of the administration and a representative of each candidate, list of candidates or political party. During the vote counting, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall appoint 4 electors from among electors registered on the electoral register of the polling station to serve as scrutineers. Where one or more representatives of candidates or political parties is/are absent at the opening of the poll, the chairperson of the local polling commission must, by decision recorded in the report, fill up such vacancies in the commission by appointing electors whose names feature in the electoral register of the polling station and who can read and write English or French.

En Ecuador Sudamerica, los miembros de las Juntas Receptoras del Voto, son seleccionados d euna base de datos conformado por los registros que constan en las Entidades Bancarias públicas y privadas, del Instituto Ecvuatoriano de Seguridad Social, de los registros de mOvilidad y Migración pero basicamente de los datos que constan en el Registro Civil, esto es de todos los ciudadanos desde que nacen jasta cuando fallecen de los cuales estan aptos para ejercer el sufragio desde los 16 años hasta los 65 años. De esta base de datos se selecionan a los miembros de las Juntas Receptoras de Voto, a quienes se los capacita durante tres días para que sepan manejar los documentos electorales, escritar y llenar los formularios y actas de escrutinio.

No son remunerados, se les compensa con un día de vacaciones para compensar su trabajo del dia de las elecciones, esto deben acatar los empleadores privados y las instituciones del Estado. En las elecciones generales del 2009, se estableció un pago simbólico de $ 20,ooUSD para los miembros de cada Junta Receptora de Voto, pero existió manejo inadecuado de los recursos económicos, qe termino con miles de reclamos, por lo cual se optó por el cumplimiento de estas obligaciones BAJO SANCIONES DE MULTAS sino cumplen su función. Esto dió mayor resultado que el pago de servicios electorales.

Sobre el material a usarse en la capacitación, se debe utilizar papeletas simuladas para hacer simulacros efectivos, de todo el proceso, desde la instalación, suscripción de actas de inicio, manejo del Registro Electoral, de comprobantes de sufragio, de las papelestas electorales, de verificación de las firmas del elector , suscripción de los formularios de resultados electorales para entrega al público y por último la elaboración y suscripción del Acta de Escrutinios que se lo hace por triplicado: 1 dentro de un sobre se envia al organismo electoral provincial, el segundo se ingresa confuntamente con el material escrutado en el Kit electoral y el terecro es para colocar en la parte mas visible de la Junta Electoral para que conozca el público.

Espero al amigo mexicano le haya servido de alguna manera lo manifestado, si requiere información adicional con mucho gusto estare atento para entregarle lo que necesite y este a mi alcance.

In Cameroon, each polling station is run by a local polling commission made up of a chairperson designated by the EMB in agreement with political party leaders, a representative of the administration designated by the District head and a representative of each political party participating in the elections. The chairperson must be an independent, non-partisan individual. These individuals could be civil servants or members of the civil society so long as they are non-partisan. The EMB conducts a training for all the polling commission members. The chairpersons are paid for the job by the state and the other members by their respective political parties.

 

Arrangements in the UK broadly reflect those reported above by Robert Marsh for New Zealand. People volunteering to work at polling stations and the counts have to declare that they have not and will not canvass for any candidate or party at that election. Without that declaration, they are ineligible for appointment.

Arrangements in the UK broadly reflect those reported above by Robert Marsh for New Zealand. People volunteering to work at polling stations and the counts have to declare that they have not and will not canvass for any candidate or party at that election. Without that declaration, they are ineligible for appointment.

The Cameroon EMB use the method of paying the Polling Staff high wages so as to increase the enthusiasm and to avoid absenteeism of registered non partisans citizens. All registered citizens are encourage to apply for the job at their various polling stations and a selection is done by the EMB in accordance with the political parties participating, who is know as the Chairperson of the polling station. Then he is also assisted by a representative of each of political parties taking part in the election and a representative of the administration. This team is now know as The polling Commission members who now under go training conducted by the EMB.         

In Sierra Leone, polling staff are recruited on competitive basis, by the Human Resource Management (HRM) department of the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Adverts are done, with competency requirements for the different levels of polling staff, of which there are about seven. After shortlisting applicants, screening tests are conducted for key posts like polling center managers, presiding officers and voter identification officers. The lower cadre staff, (polling center and station queue controllers, ballot paper issuers and ballot box controllers) are selected from databases of staff with previous or current knowledge and experience in electoral activities and processes, such as voter registration, exhibition and verification of voters' status, and distribution of voter ID cards.

All polling staff are trained by the Department of Training and Electoral Education (DTEE) of the Commission, through a cascade method which starts at the national level with the training of trainers (ToT) and descends through the regions, districts, constituencies and polling centers, for the different categories of polling day operatives.

All polling staff are paid wages which are on the average ($8/day) considered reasonable, in the context of a national economy in which the minimum wage is $100 per month. Poll workers are recruited largely from the academic and teaching profession, college and university students and young secondary or high school leavers. As soon as they are appointed and posted, they sign contracts. Parts of their contracts require that they perform their duties in an impartial and non-partisan manner, and refrain from acceptance of gifts. To minimize the risk of compromise, polling staff lists are published for public scrutiny. In instances where the public have identified shortlisted polling staff to be party activists, the Commission, based on evidence has removed such staffers from the list, and replaced them by "stand by" substitutes who are always trained for the purpose.

In Georgia Pooling Station Staff is defined as a Precinct Election Commission(PEC). PEC  consists  12 members. Six members are elected by District Election Commission and six   are  appointed by the respective political unions. It is  a temporary  paid job. Additional and detailed information can be found in  Article 24-28 of the Election Code of Georgia - http://cesko.ge/eng/static/1638/saarchevno-kodeqsi 

Zambia recruits people like Sierra Leone. This came as a result of having too many rejected ballots due to having "wrong" people in the polling stations. So now all positions are advertized by the EMB, applicants are shortlisted, interviewed and tested then hired at a fee. They are then trained by the Commission. This has reduced the numbers of "corruptly" engages staff and has improved the quality of the election.

Ghana also recruits from the general population, that's how come in the lead up to the 2000 elections, I manned a registration centre and later an exhibition centre. I don't think at the time there was as much political party infiltration as the case is today. Though the electoral process has grown, some allegations of political party allies seeking to take advantage of the process is a huge threat to the effectiveness of this model. These could be party sympathisers, who sign up as temporal staff of the EMB due to its inability to hold that many fulltime staff. It's possible for some party sympathisers working for unseen hands to get recruited to do the bidding of their political pay masters. If you look at the evidence tendered in the 2013 election petition, where many of the results declaration forms were poorly filled and in some cases, numbers were omitted, one cannot rule out the possibility of such infiltrators who enter the process to cause mischief. Each polling station is manned by a presiding officer and various assistants. The presiding officers are responsible for happenings at their polling stations and oversee the activities of all other assistants. These are recruited by the EMB and paid for the period of an election. Added to them at the polling stations are security officials and party agents, where the parties are able to provide and observers, if their activities are extended to a particular polling station. It is important to stress that given the robustness of Ghana's systems, if all parties in an election field agents who are vigilant, it is unlikely for such infiltrators to carry the day, but in many cases, parties either don't field agents or agents are chased out during elections. These are real threats to this model.

Citizens should always stand at the core of each democratic process. In the US as in other countries around the world, corps of volunteers are engaged in all phases of the election day at the poll stations and they participate as scrutineers who can be present at each polling station from a political party. In some polling stations, each candidate or party may have one scrutineer or poll-watcher per constituency or precinct when voting or counting is taking place.

 

In Canada and Australia for example, each party can have one or two scrutineers per polling booth. Their conduct and behavior within the polling stations differ from regular voters, and they cannot wear or display political slogans. They cannot influence the conduct of the election while it is taking place. Scrutineers may also report back unofficial results to their headquarters, as the official results can take longer time to be issued.  

 

Likewise, in South Africa, citizens from each political party participating in an election can appoint two agents to be present at a voting or polling station. However, only citizens holding the South African nationality can work in polling stations and their role is to check and verify ballot boxes, their seals, and to ensure they are intact before the boxes are opened for counting.

 

They can witness the process and report any anomalies; from the opening of the polling station until the completion of the result forms and when verbal reports are signed, but they cannot communicate with people outside the polling station until the results are finalized.

En ce qui concerne les Comores, les membres des bureaux de vote sont choisis , à chaque scrutin électoral, parmi une liste de candidatures soumises aux autorités de al commission nationale électorale indépendante. Ils sont pour la plupart des enseignants. Le reste étant constitué de jeunes universitaires en quête de leur premier emploi. Les diverses formations politiques, les divers candidats aux élections ont la possibilité de présenter des personnes afin de voir les diverses sensibilités au sein des membres du bureau électoral. Tous bénéficient d'une formation appropriée pour leur permettre d'assumer leurs missions respectives de Président, de secrétaires et d'assesseurs. A chaque scrutin, on note des contestations sur l'objectivité de certains membres de bureaux de vote.

Dr Youssouf Said Soilihi, mardi 1er mai 2018.

OSCE countries appoint representatives of political parties in the Polling Station Committees. Similarly, the Commonwealth countries use the government staff to man the polling stations. Are their any documentation of these practices?

In Mexico polling station are staffed by citizens. They are allocated by a raffle made by the National Electoral Institute (INE) considering letter of Surname and month of electoral roll voters.

There are some legal requirements to be polling station officer as, be included in electoral voters roll and literate.

INE trains citizens, and designate polling site officers, considering their electoral address.

High level governmental officers or members of political parties would not be selected as polling site officer.

Political parties could surveillance all procedure of selection of polling site officers.

Au Niger, le bureau de vote est composé d'un président, d'un secrétaire, de trois assesseurs.

La composition du bureau de vote doit prendre en compte autant que possible la dimension genre; tous les membres du bureau de vote doivent etre présents pendant tout le déroulement des opérations électorales sauf cas d'empechement effectivement constaté.

Le président et le secrétaire doivent etre titulaires au moins du brevet d'Etudes du premier cycle et etre agés de dix huit(18) ans au moins au jour du scrutin.

Le secrétaire remplace le président en cas d'absence ou d'empechement. Dans ce cas un assesseur sachant lire et écrire assure les fonctions de secrétaire; le président pourvoi au remplacement des assesseurs absents ou empechés en respectant le code électoral.

Peuvent assister aux opérations de vote en qualité de délégués, les représentants dument mandatés des candidats aux élections présidentielle, législatives ou locales, des candidats et des partis politiques légalement constitués, ou les groupements de partis politique; peuvent également assister aux opérations de vote, les observateurs nationaux et internationaux invités ou agréés par la commission en charge des élections.

In Kenya, the EMB staffs polling stations from the local community, but the challenge is regional politics and clannism. Swaping temporary staff is a good idea. It helps remove biasness, as polling staff end up in a neutral place (a different village/region). But, swaping is very expensive,and requires huge resourcein especially if polling officers (more so Presiding officers), are to be moved outside their regions! The EMB, tries as much as possible to vet temporary staff so that political parties' activists or their sympathisers are left out. In order to encourage participation, the EMB pays them (temporary staff) when elections are over. Possibly, the EMB in the Mexico should consider motivating temporary staff, to make the job competitive and attractive!

Accepting volunteers seem to be a good idea and cost effective, however it may have a severe negative impact in that the commitment level of staff might be compromised. I agree with John David Bennett that volunteers need to make declaration prior to work, further than that they must sign performance contracts. Elections are very sensitive Countries should avoid free services of recruiting volunteers. Irrespective of how economy is, to spend funds for beyond reproach dedicated electoral staff should be encouraged at all costs. One once said "If you pay peanuts you will get monkeys". Quality service deserve good remuneration.