Basic Issues
In preparing contingency plans for voting station materials, issues that are significant to consider include:
- the quantities of reserve materials that it is prudent to hold;
- where reserve quantities of materials are to be held, and in this regard, both available storage locations and the ability to transport from the storage location to voting stations are relevant;
- the provision of emergency transport arrangements--e.g., vehicles and drivers and, for remote areas, possibly air transport--for delivery of contingency materials.
Potential Problems
Problems that may occur with materials supply for voting day would generally fall under two broads categories:
A failure in production processes leading to unavailability of materials. This could be either through a breakdown in production (so that no, or insufficient, material has been produced in time), or errors in production have resulted in unusable materials (e.g., ballots with incorrect candidate or party information). It would be a grave lapse in production quality control processes if unusable materials were produced (see Materials Quality Control).
Failures in materials distribution, so that materials have not reached their intended voting station destination at the required time. This could occur through breakdowns in shipping arrangements or errors in packaging supplies for distribution.
Reserve Quantities of Materials
Appropriate reserve quantities of materials will vary for different types of materials and in different environments. Contingency reserves quantities must address a balance between maintaining cost-effectiveness and being able to meet reasonable contingencies for essential materials. Appropriate reserve quantities would generally fall within the range of 5 percent to 10 percent of expected usage.
However, there are circumstances in which this contingency reserve level would prudently be increased. These would include:
- where there is little confidence in overall potential voter figures, through lack of recent updates of voter lists, particularly when combined with provision that allow voters to register on voting day, or otherwise claim a vote;
- where there is a large variety of types of voting facilities available, or where there are no strict restrictions on the voting station at which a voter may vote, making 'micro' predictions of voter turnout more difficult;
- for processes such as automated mail-out of ballots which can be subject to high wastage rates.
As with normal supply of materials, contingency materials can be more efficiently processed if packed in discrete emergency supply kits.
Location of Reserve Supply
Reserve supplies can only be useful if they can be rapidly delivered to replenish materials shortages. Centralised contingency supply arrangements generally are not conducive to achieving this. For that reason, it is imperative that contingency materials be held at a regional, or sub-regional level. In general, electoral district managers' offices would be the appropriate contingency supply centres for voting stations, and this need should be considered when office premises are selected. In electoral districts covering large geographic areas, sub-regional secure depots may need to be leased for the supply period.
Emergency Transport for Materials
Contingency materials are of little use if no method of delivering them to voting stations has been arranged. Particularly for remote areas, lack of early planning of delivery methods can result in substantial cost penalties if, for example, air transport has to be arranged for immediate delivery. In urban areas potential methods would include:
- providing roving voting station supervisors (see Other Voting Operations Staff) with suitable vehicles and security so that they can also function as a mobile emergency supply repository;
- maintaining emergency supply vehicles and drivers attached to the electoral district manager's office during the voting period.
In a more rural environment, where voting stations may be at considerable distances apart, practical solutions may come at a higher cost. Attachment of transport facilities to secure emergency supply depots set up for the voting period in significant population centres may need to be considered, depending on transport distances to all voting stations from the electoral district manager's office.
