Basic Issues
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months. Suitable storage facilities for these materials and equipment while it awaits packaging and/or despatch to voting stations will be required. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure.
Security
Security levels for storage will need to be appropriate to the existing security risks. All accountable voting materials, and especially ballots, need to be subject to strictly secure storage conditions. Even in low-risk environments, it is usually appropriate to have armed guards on stores containing printed ballots around the clock--for public perception, at least, if not needed in reality. In very volatile situations, it may be appropriate to use military or civilian police installations for storage of accountable materials. This would depend, of course, on the perceptions of impartiality of security forces. (For a general discussion of election security issues, see Security.)
Local or Central Storage
Storage locations should aim to reduce redundant handling to the minimum. Where voting day supplies are being packaged centrally or regionally (see Packaging Materials and Equipment for Delivery), centralised or regional storage of materials would be appropriate. Where supplies are packaged at the local level, it would still be generally more effective to maintain them in central or regional facilities until immediately before packaging commences. In any case, it is cost-effective if storage facilities used are also the packaging centre and despatch point for voting station materials.
It is important that reserve supplies be available at the local level for voting day. It may be possible to use electoral district managers' offices for this purpose. In rural or remote electoral districts of large geographic size, depots for emergency supplies may need to be established in key community centres. (For further information on contingency materials, see Materials Contingency Plans and Contingency Plans.)
Durable Equipment
Some equipment--such as durable ballot boxes, voting screens, voting machines, and computer equipment--and some materials may be maintained in storage from election to election. It is important to implement regular inventories and testing of this equipment and material to ensure that it is in good condition, and to effect repairs or replacements if it is not.
Computer equipment, especially, will need to be stored in controlled conditions--away from dust, heat, and humidity--if it is to remain in operable condition following long-term storage. Forms and other paper-based supplies kept in long-term storage will also need to be kept in facilities that are free from dust and humidity to maintain good condition.
Where durable ballot boxes and voting screens are to be supplied to voting stations in more remote locations, it may be more cost-effective to arrange for secure storage on-site. This may be possible if locations such as schools or government offices are used as continuing voting stations.
Ballot Paper and Printed Ballots
Printed ballots must always be stored under tight security. Where special paper is used for ballot printing, such as distinctively watermarked paper, secure storage should also be maintained. Special papers can have long production lead times. Especially in systems where elections are not at fixed intervals, there may be a need to maintain considerable reserve quantities of special ballot paper stock to ensure supply. It is important that the storage conditions for this paper stock are monitored to ensure it remains in good condition.
