Basic Issues
Particularly in medium to high security risk environments, it is essential to find effective means of integrating security planning and implementation with other aspects of voting operations, while retaining the electoral management body's control over voting processes. Such integration can be achieved by creating joint operations centres (JOCs) for voting processes.
Management Responsibilities
JOCs are an initiative better taken by the election management body than other participants. By integrating the oversight of security and voting operations facets of voting day into one joint body, reporting from voting station site staff and security forces is more efficient and can assist in making response times to queries and operational and security crises more effective.
A major responsibility is the planning, implementation, and response management of security for voting. However, they can be effectively used in a broader role in overseeing voting station performance and dealing with operational emergencies during voting. The JOC's role could also be extended to cover voter registration campaigns (if held close to voting day) and security for political campaigning. The following could be seen as generic responsibilities:
- developing plans for voting security and ensuring that all required election security resources are in place;
- coordination of responses to security emergencies;
- coordination of response to logistics, staffing, or other operational emergencies;
- information control from and to voting stations, security units, and other voting operatives in the field--in this respect it is important that communication is two way: not just reporting of occurrences from the field, but advice from the JOCs to field staff of action being taken or replies to queries;
- communications base for regular security and voting operations reporting from voting stations and security units;
- providing advice on any permissions required for political activity.
The use of JOCs, as well as aiding voting management coordination, can also provide a focal point for media covering election processes and provide consistent information for public reporting.
It is important that any JOC decisions or actions taken that affect the voting process are documented, in case they are raised in any challenge to the validity of the election.
Management Control
It is highly preferable that management control of the JOCs remains in the hands of representatives of the electoral management body, taking advice from specialist members in such areas as security, civil emergency, traditional society needs, and the like. While representatives of executive government may be present in JOCs, their role should be that of observer and information conduit only.
Representation in JOCs
The staffing of such centres will depend on the types of organisations that are contributing to the successful conduct of the elections. Representatives of these bodies in the joint operations centres must be of sufficient standing to make decisions on behalf of their organisations, or the benefit of prompt response and coordination is lost. At the most basic level, representation in the JOCs would, at all times it is in operation, comprise:
- senior elections manager(s);
- staff officers from the police forces and, if involved in election security, national or international military forces;
- representatives of political participants in the election.
Depending on the cultural and security environment in the JOC's area of responsibility, representation from the following organisations may also be required:
- civil emergency and rescue services, such as fire and ambulance services;
- skilled negotiation or conflict resolution specialists;
- non-government bodies (NGOs) and other civic organisations;
- women's groups;
- in rural areas, leaders of traditional society or their representatives.
Geographic Areas of Responsibility of JOCs
The level at which JOCs are set up will influence their operational effectiveness. Geographic areas of responsibility should follow election administration areas, for single electoral districts or clusters of districts. Depending on the potential workloads and response times, it may be useful to set up JOCs at the local as well as regional level, taking care that in any multi-level JOC structure there is clear and prompt communication between the levels and that each level is clear on the boundaries of its responsibilities.
Period of Operation
In planning the integration of security and operational actions, the JOC should be in place at the very latest at the calling of the election. Full-time operation, with at least the basic representation noted above present, is useful from the time any early voting commences, or when materials delivery to voting stations commences. (It may also need to be considered during the voter registration period.) Depending on assessed security risks, JOCs may also need to be operational after the close of voting through to the announcement of results and return of materials from voting stations or counting centres to secure storage.
JOC Facilities
JOCs would preferably be located in civilian premises, but if police or military communications networks are being used, it may be more cost-effective to set up JOC facilities near communication base stations. Some basic facilities will be required for their operation:
- a room of sufficient size to accommodate all JOC members and support staff during long hours of duty;
- communication base facilities (fixed line telephone, mobile phone, radio, and facsimile) sufficient to allow prompt and reliable communication with all voting stations, electoral administration offices, fixed and mobile security forces, reserve supply depots, executive government representatives, emergency services, and civil society leaders within the area of responsibility, and with links to electoral management bodies and security forces elsewhere;
- maps of the area of responsibility showing locations of voting stations, security forces, election administration offices, election reserve supply depots locations;
- voting management reference material, e.g., copies of the legal texts and manuals forming the basis for voting procedures, staffing, logistics, and security.
