Domestic Arrangements
Arrangements for transport should be negotiated and planned before the election is called (see Transportation Infrastructure). The Electoral Management Body will need to be assured that the chosen carrier has the capacity and capability to make the ballot box deliveries within required time frames while using appropriate security controls.
The selection of the transport company (public or private) or organization (international organization, Police or Army) will be dictated by the political, social and economical context of each country and depend on various risk factors. It is recommended that factors of reputation, dependability, financial strength, coverage of the territory, shipment-tracing capability, speed of delivery, and availability of contingency measures be used as evaluation criteria for selecting the carrier. When the election is called, a contract should be in place and fully negotiated as to the details of obligation and procedure.
If it is not possible to select a single carrier, or if the political situation requires the presence of security forces or reliable and trusted persons, considerations should be given to allow political party representatives to accompany the ballot boxes. However, the right to accompany ballot boxes must be equally open to a cross-section of the parties concerned.
To limit the number of people participating in the transportation process, prior agreements between all parties involved are encouraged to assign two persons representing different political sides in the same vehicle along with the election official. National/international electoral observers should be allowed to accompany the ballot boxes as well, but for practical reasons, they might have to follow in a separate vehicle. Security forces may be required in certain political environments.
Agreements with security forces should be made prior to the election by the Electoral Management Body to determine the extent and level of security required. If this is not planned properly, the requirements can impose a burden on the security forces.
The security arrangements should also be made known to the political parties/candidates/option groups. This is particularly important if there exists a mistrust or lack of confidence in the security forces by the population or the political parties.
International Arrangements
Transportation of ballots across national boundaries and throughout the world will require a different approach from domestic arrangements and involve very careful planning. Time zones, customs, carrier's schedules, and other types of delays in transport may impact the starting date and hour of the counting process.
If the vote abroad takes place in embassies and consulates only, diplomatic bags may be used, avoiding delays at customs. However, such deliveries may not be made as frequently or rapidly as is required.
If the international vote is highly decentralised and takes place in major cities where expatriates are found, then a world-renowned courier firm with extensive worldwide coverage could be found for the transport of ballots. Carriers that have divisions specialising in transporting securities should be approached as they are able to provide well designed tracing mechanisms including logs to control and secure packages throughout the route to their final destination. They also tend to possess a broad knowledge of diverse customs regulations and practices, which may alleviate many of the potential delays related to them.
Once the Electoral Management Body agrees with a carrier on security measures during transportation, an intimate knowledge of the pick-up and delivery schedules is recommended since this is essential in planning the activities for receiving ballots at the counting centre. The counting centre location should be close to the airport/hub where the selected carrier intends to deliver the ballot boxes to minimise transportation delays once the ballots arrive in the country of destination. If appropriate, political party representatives and Electoral Management Body officials should be at the airport/hub to deal with unexpected delivery problems and expedite processing.
Publicity around the transit facilities should be limited to those who require this knowledge. Throughout the process, the Electoral Management Body should designate a specific individual or unit to deal with the carrier and to resolve contracting, logistical and security problems as they arise.
For ballots that are sent by mail, arrangements should be made with the National Postal service to conduct a special 'sweep' of their sorting facilities before the ballot return deadline. In addition, special deliveries should be planned to the designated counting centre to maximise the number of ballots received before the deadline date and hour. A specific code on the return address may facilitate such activity and should be planned with the National Postal service authorities, according to their practices, well before printing the address on the mail-in ballot return envelopes.
