Objectives
The objectives of the Vote Counting topic area are to:
- provide guidance to organizations responsible for preparing rules for counting votes;
- outline principles of 'best-practice' vote counting procedures;
- describe the various methods of vote counting used for a range of common electoral systems;
- help electoral management bodies maximize the credibility and integrity of the vote counting process, by outlining ways to minimize opportunities for fraud and manipulation;
- equip electoral management bodies with strategies to avoid the serious problems encountered in many elections caused by vote counting deficiencies;
- emphasize the importance of intensive training and organization of vote counting staff;
- provide guidance to facilitate the determination of results.
The Importance of Vote Counting
Vote counting is one of the most crucial stages in the election process. Failure to complete the count and transmit results in a quick, transparent, and accurate manner can jeopardize public confidence in the elections and will directly affect whether candidates and political parties accept the final results. Frequently, the importance of detailed planning, training, and organization is overlooked, or is considered as being of secondary importance.
Examples of serious counting problems have arisen in elections in several countries, including South Africa, Bosnia, Haiti, and Mozambique. In other countries, vote counting, while conducted in different ways, has well-established routines: see Sweden (see Counting Ballots in Sweden), Burkina Faso (see Vote Counting in Burkina Faso), and Ghana (see Vote Counting in Ghana) for descriptions.
Designing Vote Counting Procedures
The type of electoral system used will determine some of the specific measures needed to successfully conclude an election count. (See Electoral Systems and Electoral System and Ballot Type Implications for the Count for more on this topic.) However, several general principles apply to all electoral systems.
Counting procedures should take account of available resources, such as staff, premises, transport, communications, and equipment. For example, a computerized method of counting votes would not be suitable for locations with unreliable power supplies or a shortage of skilled computer operators.
A balance may need to be struck between integrity, accuracy, and speed. The more checks and balances there are, the slower the process. The faster results are announced, the more there may have been a compromise in accuracy. In each case, the systems designer must decide which of these guiding principles is most important.
Counting can take place manually, mechanically, or electronically. Counting can be done at the polling station level or at counting centres.
More complicated systems may require the conduct of different phases of the count at several locations. Majority system counts can normally be completed at the electoral district level. In a proportional representation system a final centralized count may be necessary to translate votes into seats.
Who Should be Responsible for Vote Counting?
The count is one of the key areas where fraudulent practices can occur. To minimize the possibility of fraud, vote counting should be the responsibility of an independent or electoral management body. Monitoring mechanisms could be built into the process. There should be checks, balances, and audit trails throughout, as well as clearly defined processes for complaints and appeals.
Counting Rules Must be Clearly Understood
Counting rules should be clear, known in advance, and understood by everyone involved in the election, including election officials, the general public, political parties, candidates, non-governmental organizations, and national/international electoral observers. Despite these rules, some legislatures do have specific instructions to follow (see Examples of laws and regulations - Philippines), while others are more general. See Ghana Examples of laws and regulations - Belgium, Sweden Examples of laws and regulations - Sweden, Ukraine Examples of laws and regulations - Ukraine and Spain Examples of laws and regulations - Spain for examples of various kind of legislatures. Also, it is desirable that information and training programs on the count itself be provided to all participants.
Counting Must be Open and Transparent
It is of great importance to the legitimacy of the elections that the counting process be open and transparent. Representatives of political parties and candidates, and national/international electoral observers should be allowed to witness the process and be permitted to copy the statement of the count documenting the results of the counting process.
Training is Essential
Detailed and intensive training of election officials, as well as representatives of political parties/candidates (see Party and Candidate Representatives and Training Party Representatives for more information on these issues), and national/international electoral observers is essential to ensure consistency of approach, and especially to determine what constitutes a valid and a rejected ballot.
Poll workers (as well as poll officials) must be non-partisan in their actions, thorough in their procedures, and committed to treating electoral materials with care and respect. They must understand, for example, that even after ballots have been counted, they remain legal documents in some jurisdictions. Identification of voters and their votes, especially voters receiving special assistance and small polls, must be kept secret at all times.
Publicizing Election Results
The political parties and the media should be given the opportunity of publicizing the unofficial results, but the responsibility and authority to announce the official election results should rest with the electoral management body.
