The Question

This question is posed on behalf of Lori Annette McKinnon, Election Coordinator for the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada.

When you are looking to employ Election Staff (Election Day, Advance Poll, etc), do you use online testing before you screen them in as a possible employee? If so, what type of questions do you use and what is your pass criteria? 

Summary of Responses

Member responses suggest that many countries are yet to use online testing to screen election staff. The OSCE in Ukraine developed an online platform for election commission assessments of its staff, yet members disagreed over its actual use.

One PN member suggested the OSCE in Ukraine had developed an online screening mechanism for potential election commission staff, assessing them before they submit their applications. According to this member, the tool was built on an open source platform involving a combination of e-learning, testing and certification. After a candidate is tested, the system generates a test score (or ‘token’) that is subsequently linked to the candidate’s profile in the HR system.  The same member noted that the costs of developing the platform centered on customizing the content of the e-learning module, the testing mechanism, and on a public outreach campaign surrounding the tool.

Notwithstanding, another PN member employed at the elections unit of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine stressed that the system described above was developed mainly as an educational tool to build the capacity of election commission staff, and not to screen potential applicants. Additionally, she noted that the Ukrainian Central Election Commission (CEC) uses this platform mainly to test the knowledge of election commissioners after they have undergone training courses, and there is no pass criteria. However, the same member acknowledged that alongside several other potential uses of the system, self-testing of electoral commission staff candidates is a possibility.

Of the cases where election commissions have not used online screening mechanisms for potential candidates, countries included Mauritius, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and South Africa. In Mauritius, a member noted that the criteria for candidates to work on Election Day is primarily past experience. The Election Commission of South Africa (EIC) shared that they assess election staff through ‘contact sessions,’ and the minimum requirement for a person to be employed by the EIC is a minimum score of 80 percent. Furthermore, the EIC only reassess candidates who attain a minimum of 60 percent or higher.  

Names of Contributors

• Gustavo Ramirez
• Tomasz Blasiak
• Rosida Beebee Fatagar
• Anna Shalimova
• Mirimo Mulango
• Jean Bosco Hitimana
• The Electoral Commission of South Africa 

For people in the voting centers, there's no online testing. The electoral staff is selected randomly and they go through training with the only condition that they know how to read, write and count. 

Hi Lori,

This is a very interesting question. On the request of OSCE Ukraine I have developed a system that actually uses e-learning, testing and certification BEFORE anybody could submit application for the Poll worker job. In this concept, individual's test score was required by the local election administration during the enrollment to the pool of poll workers. They conducted later a draw from that pool, whenever number of posts was lower than number of successful candidates in the pool. 

Each user's report was generating an unique token, thus enabling to connect later individual profile in the HR system with the scores from the pre-employment period.

System was developed using mainly open source applications and thus the major cost was to customize content of the course and examination structure plus the usual public outreach campaign. Peanuts comparing to the "classic" process. Based on our technical tests I can say that up to 40 000 people could be serviced weekly resulting in a approximately 50% pass rate.

I can share with you all materials that are not copyrighted. Drop me an email, please, if you need anything more.

Tomasz

t_blasiak (at) interia. pl (private)

Hi Lori,

I appreciate Tomasz's system as requested by OSCE Ukraine.  Here in Mauritius selections to work for election day is done according to past experience of the candidate, though we also allow chances to new comers to join in the team.  But the only so called "training" that is provided is carried out on the eve of poll day by simply demonstrating to those present the machinery that has been put in place and also providing written instructions.  As electoral officer we rely greatly on the literacy and adaptability of the staff selected who are above all Government employees in service. 

Rosida.

Dear Ms Mc Kinnon, Mr Blasiak,

I work at the election unit of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. Within the frames of our project we have developed an online system for training (and testing, if necessary) of election commissioners.

NB Our  subcontractor was the company SCYTL electronics. I'm not sure if Mr Blasiak has any partner relations with SCYTL. Anyway  it needs to be mentioned that the information provided by Mr Blasiak doesn't reflect the real situation. 

The system of online training for election commissioners is developed mainly as an educational tool that also allows for conducting tests. It is based on the DOCEBO platform.The online tests are now used to check the knowledge of users after they undergo training courses (there is no obligatory testing for the potential election commissioners envisaged by the legislation). The system also offers possibilities for such testing:

1) for the Central Election Commission to test appointed election commissioners

2) for political parties to conduct internal testing for potential election commissioners before  nominating them officially or after their appointment

2) self-testing of potential or acting election commissioners

3) testing of trained election commissioners  by NGOs that are specialized on training

The questions of the test include checking the knowledge of legislation and ability to resolve potential practical problems. The following types of questions are used: YES/NO questions, multiple choice, open questions (data should be inserted). Questions have different levels of complexity and give different number of points. Since there is no official obligatory testing, there is no pass criteria. The majority of test participants give 50-80% of correct answers. The system saves the results and allows to monitor the results of testing in detail.

Please don't hesitate to contact me further if have any more questions.

Les agents électoraux sont recrutés  parmi le personnel enseignant surtout que les centres de vote sont pour la plupart installés dans les écoles. Jusque là la formation présentielle se faisait en cascade.Il n'y a donc pas de test en ligne. Par contre  actuellement, l'Ecole de Formation Electorale en Afrique Centrale (EFEAC) travaille sur le module des agents électoraux. La formation se fera en ligne ou off ligne selon le cas.Ce qui va améliorer la qualité de la formation en diminuant sensiblement la déperdition.

Dieudonné MIRIMO

Les agents électoraux (les agents recenseurs, les agents d'affichage des listes électorales les agents de distribution des cartes d'électeurs et les membres des bureaux de vote) sont recrutés parmi les chômeurs, les étudiants d'universités en vacance et particulièrement pour les membres de bureau de vote parmi les agents des services publics surtout les enseignants et les agents de santé qui sont éparpillés dans tous le coins du pays, le jour des élections étant chômé. Pas de test pour le recrutement, on fait recours à des formations. Seul le critère d'un certain niveau d'études est retenu. La formation à leur intention se fait en cascade par les cadres de la Commisssion Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI), les Membres des Commissions Electorales Provinciales Indépendantes (CEPI) et les membres des Commissions Electorales Communales Indépendantes (CECI).

Posted on behalf of the Electoral Commission of South Africa

The Electoral Commission of South Africa does not conduct on-line testing of  Election staff. However,  both our training and assessment of Election  staff is done through contact sessions. After a training session, participants undertake a written assessment , which is subsequently marked by the Trainer, who then captures the scores  on our internally designed system, as per Annexure A . 

The minimum requirement for a person to be  employed by the Electoral Commission of South Africa to render their services as Election  staff , is to attain a minimum of 80% . Provision is also made for re-assessment , only for participants who have attained a minimum of 60% and higher , but less than  80%.This is a once-off opportunity, and failure to make the mark after the second attempt, another candidate  is considered.  

Annexure A