When ballot boxes are transported from the polling station to the counting centre, important security controls should be provided prior to transportation. These measures can prevent fraud and ensure that if tampering occurs it will be detected. In addition, these controls are essential to the transparency and integrity demonstrated in the democratic electoral process. Poll officials must ensure adherence to the security procedures, and representatives of political parties/candidates/options should be encouraged to witness them.
The poll official should verify that the seal on the ballot box closure is still unbroken and that the serial number is the same as the one recorded at the opening of the polling station. The serial number of the seal put on the slot of the ballot box after the close of voting should be verified as well. No ballot box should be transported without being sealed. Maintaining records of the serial numbers of the seals, and allowing representatives of political parties/candidates/options to also maintain such records, is important and useful. Representatives of political parties/candidates/options may wish to put their own seals on the ballot box or simply sign, or attach their initials on, the ones used by the Electoral Management Body.
If political parties (candidates/option/supporters) put their own seals on the ballot box, there has to be early consultation to ensure that the seals they use will fit on the ballot boxes and that the ballot boxes will be able to accommodate all the seals. The format and design of the seals should be specified to prevent them from using their seals as advertising stickers. The required strength of the seals should be specified and enforced: if this is not done, the seals may break or fall off while in transit, causing unnecessary complaints, see 4.
Controls on the process of manufacturing the official seals used by the Electoral Management Body must provide adequate guarantees that seal substitution will not be possible. In addition, the seals must be strong enough to ensure that they will not break in transit due to the stress of movement of the boxes. It is highly recommended that proper testing be done prior to the ordering and production of large quantities. The seals should be serially numbered.
The control measures should be publicised and be known in advance by all participants to the process as well as by the public to provide indications of transparency and security. However, an element of secrecy should be maintained regarding the exact design of materials to avoid illegal reproduction or copying. For example, when publicising the use of the seals, the exact design of the logo (if any) or other specific details about the seals should not be revealed. If reproduction copies are found, it should be easy to distinguish the official seals from counterfeit ones. If the seals arrive broken, a report should be made and signed by officials and the representatives of political parties/candidates/options.
