Basic Issues
Close of voting procedures for absentee voting by mail will vary according to:
- when the cut-off date for return receipt of mail ballots is defined, prior to voting day, as at close of voting on voting day or at some later date;
- whether mail voting facilities in electoral districts can issue mail ballots for their own electoral district only, or for all electoral districts;
- the return addresses to which mail ballots are sent.
Regardless, there are some general guidelines that should be followed, both for the close of issuing of mail ballots and for the deadline for receipt of returned mail ballots.
Progressive Reconciliations of Material Issued
Ballot accounting records should be maintained on a daily basis and final reconciliations of ballot stocks conducted following the closing time for issuing mail ballots. Records that should be kept daily include:
- a count of ballots and any special return envelopes issued and remaining unused, reconciled to total ballots (and envelopes if applicable) received at the voting location;
- mail ballot applications processed during the day and/or mail ballot issues from permanent mail voter lists reconciled to records of ballot issues and to actual ballot stocks remaining.
Where mail ballots can be issued from the one location for multiple electoral districts, ballot accounting records would need to be maintained for each electoral district for which ballots are issued.
Returned Mail Ballots
From progressive daily records of returned mail ballots received, the total mail ballots that should be in the ballot box must be calculated for reconciliation at the count.
Where mail ballots may be issued within an electoral district for that electoral district only, and the return address is to that electoral district, this is a simple process of marking returned ballots against issue records.
Where voting locations in an electoral district may also issue mail ballots for other electoral districts, and particularly if mail ballots are returned to a location other than the issuing location, this may be a process of considerable complexity requiring very strict control systems. For example, if the return address for mail ballots from all electoral districts is to a central location, a system for matching issue records to returned ballots will be needed. The structure of this system will depend on whether mail ballots are retained at the central location, or returned to the electoral district of registration for the count.
If mail ballots can be issued from locations in an electoral district on application by voters from any electoral district, with the ballots returned to the voters electoral district of registration, a complex system of monitoring advice between electoral district administration offices, and for forwarding mail ballot applications to the voters' own electoral district office, and then reconciling these to ballots returned will need to be implemented.
It is also essential that at the deadline for receipt of returned mail ballots, mail clearing procedures are implemented. In particular, any mail boxes used as return addresses for mail ballots should be cleared at the time specified as the closing time for receipt of ballots by mail. Additionally, all mail ballots returned need to be time and date stamped immediately on receipt; time stamps need to clearly distinguish between returned mail ballots received before and after the legal deadline for return.
Packaging and Transport
Procedures for packaging and transport of mail ballots and issue records following the deadline for mail ballot return will depend on where these ballots are to be counted.
If the deadline is before voting day, and particularly if each electoral district can only issue mail ballots to voters registered in that electoral district, it may be possible for returned ballots to be security delivered on voting day to the voting station relevant to each voter's registration for inclusion with the normal count. This, however, will add further complexity to sorting and transport requirements.
If mail ballots are to be counted in the electoral district in which each mail voter is registered, and return deadlines are on or after voting day, where the return mail address for mail ballots is to a single central location, security distribution arrangements must be implemented to deliver mail ballots to the appropriate electoral district office. More than one such shipment may be required, depending on the length of time allowed for return of mail ballots.
Where the return mail address is to the voter's electoral district administration office, ballot envelopes may remain in ballot boxes until the close of voting.
If mail ballots are to be checked and counted at a single central location, the return mail address for all mail ballots would preferably be that location, with returned ballots sorted on arrival to a ballot box for their relevant electoral district in preparation for the count.
Timing of Count
Checking of voter details accompanying the ballot to determine eligibility of the vote can usefully occur before voting day to determine which ballots will be accepted for counting. Counts of mail ballots, however, should not begin until after the close of voting.
(For further information on mail voting, see Early Voting.)
