Infrastructure
Lower levels of local transport and production infrastructure may require earlier production or acquisition of materials and equipment, requiring care in developing realistic voting operations time lines and calendars. Basic decisions need to be made on whether lower technology levels and possibly longer production lead times available locally provide acceptable solutions to voting operations needs.
In considering external sourcing, potentially negative impact could result from
- long supply lines;
- little opportunity to oversee production;
- lack of internal resource building;
- establishing possible future external dependence;
- perhaps using scarce foreign currency.
A hard-nosed appraisal needs to be undertaken of how much this will actually add to voting operations effectiveness, compared to alternatives that could be provided by current local facilities or with external technical assistance to local producers.
Transport
Where transport equipment stock is poor, using armed forces transport capacities can be an efficient, and in some cases the only, solution to supplying all voting sites. However, where armed forces have had a historic or current political role, using them for transport of voting material can lead to perceptions or suspicions of them manipulating the process. These can be partially overcome by instituting strict despatch and receipt checks on voting materials by the electoral management body and independent or political participant monitoring of these activities.
Voting Premises
The use of temporary structures or mobile voting stations may also need to be considered if the buildings, particularly in rural areas, are not sufficiently developed for use as voting stations, or where decision-making is traditionally an open air activity. Depending on resources available, these could be as simple as shade cloth strung between trees. In environments where armed forces are assisting with logistics more complex or elaborate solutions can provide secure and sturdy temporary voting sites. This might include airlift or road transport of large containers with all voting station equipment and material. Additionally, upgrading existing buildings for voting operations purposes may provide opportunities, through the security and facilities needs of voting station or warehouse sites, to improve their general usefulness to the community.
Communications
Due to the dispersed nature of voting sites, communications for voting operations can be a problem in communities without extensive communications networks. Installing new networks that provide communication with all voting sites can be expensive. The accessibility of required communication will be very much determined by security risk assessments (see Security) and reporting speed requirements.
This is one area where cooperative ventures between electoral management bodies and other agencies may be necessary, for example in
- using existing national communications networks and siting voting locations accordingly;
- developing networks flexibly to allow joint financing and satisfaction of common needs.
In many less developed countries, armed forces communications networks have the greatest capacity, flexibility and coverage (see Use of Communications Networks). Similar reservations about their use, however, may exist as for logistical assistance.
Enhancing communications may be a useful priority for international electoral aid funding. Provision of viable civilian communications networks, which will have continuing usefulness, is a more positive contribution to sustainable development than using external voting operations assistance funds for functions such as producing multi-colour print ballot papers on high quality security print paper.
Many of those using communication systems in voting stations or in voting operations communications centres may never have had to use similar systems previously for formal communication. There may be a need to train in such basic techniques as telephone or fax use.
Professional Skills
The increase in volume and range of workloads during voting operations may require enlistment of professional staff either from other sectors of the local economy (which may place strains on goal achievement in these areas), or external technical assistance. The more complex the voting operations system and procedures, the more likely that the additional professional skills required cannot easily be found locally.
In less developed countries, it is important that engagement of additional professional skills is used as an opportunity for management skills transfer to develop the voting operations capacities of the electoral management body, rather than being treated simply as a dispersal of functions.
Staff Recruitment
The use of existing disciplined and skilled workforces for some vital voting operations tasks can provide greater assurances of quality and be cost-effective. Some areas where this can be considered are the use of
- teachers, both for training polling staff and as managers of voting stations;
- senior students as voting station staff;
- state employees, such as warders, for packing election materials;
- penal institution workshops for production of equipment, such as ballot boxes, locks and seals.
The use of such state institutions and employees in voting operations roles may be problematic where they are generally perceived to be biased towards the state. Even in these situations, it can be as effective, and less costly, to ensure that their actions are monitored by political participants and independent observers (for which some external training assistance may be necessary), and an effective redress system is in place, rather than initiate new administrative and production structures.
Management Skills Training
The overall management of voting operations requires skill in both the technical and general management areas. Training of voting operations managers in general management skills is a widely applicable and important part of using external technical assistance for local resource building. This can occur through exposure to:
- management planning
- staff recruitment and management
- resource mobilisation methods
- materials handling
- accounting principles and practices
- procurement practices
- accountability principles
Such transferred skills are portable across most public and commercial sectors.
General Skill Development
The large volume of staff required for voting operations at local levels provides opportunities for empowerment, both through general development of skill levels and use of recruitment strategies to assist in redressing gender or minority imbalances. Many of the base level skills required at the voting operations and voting station level are highly transportable, such as materials management, conflict resolution, maintenance of accurate records and use of telecommunications or radio equipment. Training of local voting operations staff can assist local development in general.
Training programs for voting operations staff, particularly in areas of low literacy, need careful attention in regard to both goals and methods. Breaking down voting station staff roles into discrete work units and training staff for a limited number of these can be more effective. Training methodology can be more effective if role playing and simulation are used, with illustrated reference cards that can be retained by polling staff, rather than relying on written materials and lectures, especially in areas of questionable literacy.
