Development of Supply Program
Planning, design, acquisition, and distribution of election materials and equipment is, for staffing and selection of voting sites, one of the major focuses of the electoral management body in ensuring that all is in readiness for voting day.
In developing supply programs, overall considerations must be that materials and equipment:
- are acquired in accordance with a planned acquisition program (it is essential that there is thorough and early planning of all materials and equipment needs);
- are appropriate for the environment;
- fulfill the legal obligations of the election framework;
- provide adequate security and transparency for all election processes;
- are acquired cost-effectively;
- are easy to use, and, particularly where used by voters, the emphasis is on simplicity in format;
- are monitored comprehensively and regularly to allow continuous assessment of election readiness, and early implementation of contingency plans to address deficiencies.
It is extremely important to manage materials and equipment effectively in order to conduct an election that maintains public confidence in the integrity of voting processes and provides a quality service to voters. Failure to supply or late supply of essential materials for use by voters, or poor security in handling of voting materials, can have serious effects on both public perceptions and the actuality of election integrity and can lead to the rejection of election results.
It would be prudent that accountability for equipment and materials supply tasks clearly resides with a senior administrator. It is also vital that supply managers are integrated into voting operations policy and management decision-making forums to ensure that procedures developed and adopted are supported by supplies with appropriate functionality, reliability and delivery times.
(For further information on the development and implementation of electoral supply programs, see Supplies, Supplies - Strategic Planning, Supplies - Procurement, Supplies - Distribution and Supplies - Recovery and Evaluation.)
Importance of Reliable Data
Materials, equipment, and logistics planning cannot proceed effectively without provision of accurate data from other functional areas of electoral management. Early advice of voter registration figures, locations of voting stations, and any changes to voting operations procedures is essential if cost-effective, reliable, and sufficient supplies are to be made available to all voting stations. Important considerations include:
- Changes to legislation and voting procedures may effect the types, timing, and quantities of supplies required--given the long lead times required for acquisition of some supplies (and subsequent effects on voter education and staff training), it is prudent if a moratorium on legislative or procedural changes affecting voting operations can be instituted for the three months before voting day.
- Voter registration figures, at national, electoral district, and voting station level, are the essential element in estimating the quantities of each type of materials and equipment that will be required; without early registration data, ensuring sufficient supplies for all voting stations is difficult.
- Effective logistics planning depends on knowledge of where voting stations are to be located; late determination of voting station locations will affect not only calculation of the overall quantities of supplies required, but can result in substantially more expensive forms of transport being required.
The short notice of elections often given in systems where elections are not for fixed terms heightens the need for continuous accurate data and a high state of readiness for materials and equipment planning.
Control Measures
Controls on the acquisition, distribution, use, and return of election materials and equipment are necessary to ensure:
- financial probity and the ability to prevent loss of assets;
- readiness assurance, so that election managers are aware at all times of the location, quantity and status of all equipment and materials and can take contingency actions to redress deficiencies.
Essential elements of these controls for materials and equipment controls include:
- clear specifications for all materials and equipment to be acquired;
- approval and maintenance testing programs;
- a systematic numbering system for all materials and equipment to aid standard identification;
- systems for authorisations of expenditure on materials and equipment;
- simple systems for recording, collating, and examining despatch and receipt data for items at each stage of supply, from manufacture right through to post-voting day return to storage or for destruction;
- systems for restricting access to or allocation of supplies to authorised persons;
- accurate maintenance of asset registers showing quantities, locations, accountabilities for, and condition of voting operations materials and equipment;
- systems for authorising materials and equipment destruction or disposal.
All those involved in supply acquisition and distribution--suppliers, transport and warehouse workers, polling officials, electoral management body staff--must receive clear instructions on maintaining the audit trail for supplies. It is important that copies of supply and distribution management summary records are available to managers at the local, regional, and central level so that they are aware of the readiness profiles and to enable effective monitoring of materials supply and distribution
Lack of controls and proper audit trails on materials and equipment can cause grave problems for electoral management bodies. Often, where elections are implemented in a very brief time frame, acquisition in haste leads to lack of controls or inadequate controls being implemented. Not knowing whether supply orders have yet been filled, supplies have arrived at their destinations, or the quality and condition of supplies makes it difficult to ensure effective voting operations.
Lack of controls and accountability for distribution and control of supplies can affect election integrity, if accountable materials are missing, and cause serious financial loss4. Many equipment items used in voting operations such as mobile phones, computer equipment, and vehicles are highly portable and susceptible to theft or loss.
Control of Supply Sources
Controls on sourcing of materials and equipment are also required to provide financial probity, cost-effective acquisitions, and reliability. Necessary controls would include:
- transparent competitive bidding procedures to ensure cost-effective purchasing;
- careful consideration of the potential disadvantages of sourcing internationally in terms of sustainability, reliability, length of supply of lines, and cost-effectiveness;
- sourcing only from suppliers willing to enter into performance bonds or guarantees;
- sourcing from suppliers with accredited quality control systems.
Supply Requirements
Voting operations supply requirements entail a complex array of materials and equipment. (For discussion of requirements for major items, see Production of Ballots, Voting Day Equipment and Voting Day Materials.)
Estimation of quantities of materials and equipment required must allow for all usage, not just that for direct voting day operations. In particular, in-house use by the electoral management body, for staff training and other activities, and material and equipment required for public information and education activities must be considered. Contingency reserves and wastage must be calculated (for most supplies, generally in the range of 5 to 10 percent).
Reference Materials
Apart from materials actually used in the voting process, consistent conduct and monitoring of voting operations will require the production of manuals and other reference materials for voting operations staff (see Reference Material).
Storage and Distribution
Voting operations supplies will require secure storage before distribution to voting stations. For much material returned from voting stations, especially accountable voting material, there will be a requirement for it be stored under security, at least until any time period for challenge to the election has elapsed, and, in systems where recounts of votes may later be necessary, until the term of office of the representative body elected has expired. (For further discussion of equipment and materials storage, see Storage Prior to Voting Day and Storage after Voting Day.)
Effective distribution and return of supplies to voting stations requires both effective transport planning (see Transportation) and efficient methods of determining and packaging voting station supply needs (see Requisition and Inventory Preparation and Packaging Materials and Equipment for Delivery). In most circumstances, centralised or regionalised packing of standard supply kits for voting stations, with direct distribution to voting stations from these packaging centres, will prove the most effective method.
Communications
Voting operations requires an extensive network of effective communications facilities between electoral management body staff, to and from voting stations, and with other participants in the election process such as security and emergency forces, political parties and candidates, and executive government.
Given the geographic distribution of voting stations, maintaining the necessary communications with them on voting day and, if relevant, during the ballot count can be one of the greater challenges of voting operations management, particularly in countries with less developed communications infrastructures. Appropriate and effective use of radio, mobile phone, fixed telecommunication lines, and back-up facilities requires careful and early planning.
Considerations for Observer Groups
As for election managers, observer groups, whether local or international, need to plan carefully their materials equipment, transport, and communications requirements (see Observer Logistics).
