The ballot boxes should be transported to the counting centre in a vehicle with a closed compartment and a lock that can be sealed. All the proper information on the vehicle, the driver, the numbers of the seals used on the closed compartment, etc. should be written on a waybill and given to the driver. This same information should be communicated to the counting centre so that it can be checked upon receipt. Such measures promote efficiency of transport and prevent fraud.
In the process of transfer from one kind of transport method to another (when using more than one type of transportation such as from a truck to a boat and then back to a truck), the driver should verify the following: that all ballot boxes were transferred; that a new seal was placed on the lock of the compartment of the new transport vehicle; and note the number of the new seal on the waybill. The driver should sign the waybill indicating that the transfer was properly done. Persons who accompany the ballot boxes (representatives of political parties/candidates/options and poll workers) should sign as well.
In areas where potential violence may compromise the safe delivery of the ballot boxes, a vehicle escorting the carrying vehicle may be appropriate. Armed forces, police, or an international organization may be used to provide the needed security. An election official and representatives of political parties should accompany the ballot boxes and national/international electoral observers can follow in another vehicle if necessary.
The ballot boxes should not be left unattended at any time unless they are locked in secure storage. To demonstrate transparency during transportation, representatives of political parties/candidates/options should be encouraged to accompany the ballot boxes from the voting station to the counting centre. Prior arrangements must be made regarding who is delegated as a representative of political party/candidate/option during transportation, since it will not be possible to have representatives of many political parties accompanying the ballot box transport.
Once at the counting centre, the official responsible for the reception of the ballot boxes should collect the waybill from the driver and verify all information: numbers on the seals, driver identification, etc. The same information should be verified against information previously transmitted. The official then breaks the seal and the ballot boxes are counted and removed from the vehicle to the planned location in the counting centre. All forms attached to the ballot box and the seals are verified before putting a sticker or colored tape on the ballot box indicating that the ballot box is ready to be counted.
The waybill is completed and signed by the official responsible for the reception of the ballot box, the driver, and representatives of political parties/candidates/options. Copies should be given to the driver, representatives of political parties/candidates/options and the original should be kept by the reception official at the counting centre.
