Introduction
Distribution includes the assembly of supply kits and the organised delivery of all required
materials and equipment to registration or polling stations. In most cases, kits will be distributed
initially to a regional or provincial level, and delivered in a second stage of deployment to
registration and/or polling stations.
A distribution plan, prepared well in advance, should detail the logistics for all stages of
distribution. This detail includes: central material assembly, storage and deployment; the
definition of a tracking system for material control and the communications links to be used for
material requests and reporting; and, arrangement for transportation and storage of materials at
all stages of distribution. Contingency plans should also be made for delays in transportation as a
result of bad weather, poor road conditions and other potential delivery problems.
Assembly of Supply Kits
The most cost-effective approach to distribution of material supplies for voter registration or
voting is to marshal all supplies at a central location and assemble well-organised supply kits for
delivery to registration or polling stations. Supplies procured at a regional level may be
marshalled and delivered at that level.
It is recommended that election commissions and managers establish a numbering system for all
material items, to facilitate procurement control and kit assembly and simplify inventory control
at all levels in the system. As usual it is necessary at all times to know how many items were
ordered, when they were delivered and from there who is in charge of them at each stage of the
process. It must be possible to show who is accountable.
There are many advantages to the supply kit system.
- Central marshalling of materials facilitates inspection of shipments and quality control.
- A single delivery of supplies to the polling station level reduces transportation costs.
- Pre-assembled, numbered kits simplify materials management and facilitate the control of
sensitive materials.
- The kit method ensures uniform distribution of all required materials, facilitates training,
and provides convenient packaging for storage of materials at the polling station, as well as the
return of reusable materials
Well-supervised assembly of kits ensures good results.
Supply kits normally contain the full range of general supplies and sensitive materials required at
a registration or polling station for a specified number of voters. A complete kit may comprise
more than one package; for ease of handling, individual packages should not exceed 20 kg. Kits
should be packaged appropriately for the methods of transport to be used, sealed securely,
numbered for distribution and audit trail purposes, and contain detailed packing slips.
There is the option of packing general and sensitive materials separately - general supplies can be
packed and stored whilst sensitive ones like ballot papers are being produced.
Supply kits should also include clear instructions for setting up the polling or registration station,
for the use of all materials, and for the packing and return of materials after voting or registration.
See Tracking Form - Canada. Clear external labeling is essential.
Contingency kits normally contain the additional materials that will be required by a polling or
registration station for an additional 200-500 voters.
For sample supply lists for registration and election kits, including contingency kits, see
Voter Registration List - Canada and Election Kit Materials List - Canada.
Varying Requirements
The number of supply kits required by each registration or polling station will vary, according to
the number of eligible voters.
Supply kits may also need to be customised to reflect special needs. For example, if night-time
voting is to take place in a location that does not have electricity, lanterns may need to be
provided and special instructions included for the storage of batteries to ensure their optimum
performance. Similarly, if tables are not available in a particular location, voting booths which
include a writing surface, as well as a privacy screen, will be required.
Transportation
Timely movement of supplies is critical and requires detailed planning for all stages of
distribution, as well as for the recovery of sensitive materials in particular.
Voter confidence and the security of an election requires that materials arrive neither too early
nor too late. The longer supplies are in storage at a regional or polling station level, the greater
the potential for breaches of security; voter confidence may also be affected by supplies arriving
too early. Conversely, late arrival is simply not an option, as this may delay elections.
Well-organised packing and loading for the initial transport of kits to a regional or provincial
level will facilitate controlled storage at that level as well as orderly distribution of kits to polling
or registration stations.
Note that transportation planning information should be available when kits are assembled and
packaged at a central level. Different modes of transport will dictate packing and loading
requirements, such as heavy-duty waterproof covering for kits being delivered in the rainy season
on flat bed trucks, special bundling for delivery by donkey, or palletising for air freight.
In some countries there will be seasonal considerations, and the need to make contingency plans
for alternate modes of transport in case of impassable roads, for example. Costs will dramatically
increase if a lack of planning results in the need to charter aircraft or hire vehicles at the last
minute.
Positioning Contingency Supplies
Contingency supply kits should not be kept at the central level. They should be distributed to safe
storage at a regional level and positioned for rapid delivery from that level to polling or
registration stations, as the need for additional or replacement materials arises.
Security and Storage
The security of sensitive materials and transparency of elections depends to a large extent on
security features and packaging, which ensure that any tampering is immediately evident. Safe
storage is also important to prevent theft or damage of materials and to minimise the
opportunities for tampering.
Warehousing or other suitable safe storage must be arranged for all stages of distribution and
recovery of materials, including overnight storage at the polling station level during elections.
Safe storage means somewhere that is completely secure and is under the direct control of the
electoral manager - it can be helpful to transparency to allow supervised access to the storage
facilities to demonstrate to interested parties that tampering with supplies is not possible.
Audit Trail and Tracking Systems
An audit trail is the record produced by a materials tracking system which records the systematic
dispatch and receipt of election supplies at every step in the distribution and recovery process,
from the central level to the polling station level and back.
An effective distribution tracking system combines simple procedures, a well-designed 'Record
of Distribution' form, and clear instructions to those involved in handling materials at each stage
- including shippers, drivers, warehouse and polling station staff (see Tracking Form - Canada).
The authorities for access to materials, and for their dispatch and receipt, must be clearly
established. These authorities should be incorporated in the design of distribution forms. Also,
the procedures for recovering distribution information, by the return of specific copies to the
regional or central level, must be well-thought out and clearly indicated on the forms. An
effective tracking system will ensure that the location of all materials is known at all times by the
central election commission, and must produce an unbroken audit trail.
The audit trail produced during distribution is generally continued at the registration or polling
station level by entries in a polling or registration book.
