Once the statement of the votes for each ballot box is completed, the counting official should give a copy of the results to the person responsible for combining the results at the counting centre. For greater transparency, periodic progress reports should be sent to the central office of the Electoral Management Body. These progress reports should be sent by electoral district that will enable the electoral management body to release results as they come in. Once all ballot boxes in a counting centre have been counted, a cumulative statement of the vote for the counting centre needs to be transmitted to the national office of the Electoral Management Body.
Communication of the Results
The progress report and cumulative statement of the vote for a counting centre should be transmitted to the office of the national Electoral Management Body by phone (cellular or fixed line), by fax, or other electronic means. It is recommended that a unique password or code be provided to the person who will transmit the results. For security reasons, the Electoral Management Body best does this during the day of the election itself. This code will reduce the possibility of impersonation, which will screen out unauthorised persons from transmitting incorrect or biased election results to the national office of the Electoral Management Body.
If a fax machine is available at the counting centre, it should be used to send progress reports and the cumulative statement of votes to the Electoral Management Body. Specific measures should be taken to control access to the fax machine and number to reduce the risk of any transmissions of unofficial results. In all cases, progress reports and the cumulative statement of the vote for each counting centre sent by fax should be signed by the person in charge of combining the results for the counting centre and by representatives of political parties/candidates/options present.
For more security, and to detect any attempts at fraud, the original cumulative statement of the vote form should be sent separately to the central office of the Electoral Management Body in a sealed envelope. This envelope should be sent by hand or by courier. By sending the original, the Electoral Management Body can verify the results against the one previously sent by telephone or electronically and ensure they are the same.
Alternative Methods for Communicating to the Electoral Management Body
Should the availability of phones (cellular or fixed) at a counting centre be a problem, alternative methods should be considered. Walkie-talkie or radio emitting devices do not require the installation of a phone line and are flexible and simple in their use. However, their deployment should take into consideration the topography of the area to identify in advance any blackout regions where it is impossible to receive or transmit messages. Again, appropriate training and identification codes should be provided to counting centre workers before deployment.
If it is not possible to use any means of wireless communication, the last resort is hand-to-hand delivery by election officials of the results to the Electoral Management Body. If this is not possible the last alternative is to designate a messenger. This messenger should be a credible person and the choice of such person should be accepted by counting workers as well as representatives of the political parties/candidates/options.
Role of Print/Electronic Media
News agencies and media organizations will likely compete to provide their forecast of the election results as quickly as possible after the counting process begins. They will dispatch their representatives as close as possible to where the electoral action is. The counting centres are most likely to be targeted by the media. At a counting centre, one representative can cover a wide area and can report for a significant number of ballot boxes.
Since the print or electronic media is considered a key element in a free and democratic society, it is recommended that they be given controlled access to counting centres, especially if the freedom and fairness of the election process is in question. To keep control of who is allowed at the counting centre, proper accreditation should be given in advance by the Electoral Management Body and media representatives should wear corresponding identification. To minimise the disruption of counting activities, there should be agreement that media personnel will not intervene or seek interviews while the counting process is taking place nor take photographs unless given specific permission for each photo.
Should the media decide to station their representatives at the national office of the Electoral Management Body offices or at the counting centres, specific physical areas should be set aside to accommodate them. If they require specific installations such as telephones or fax lines, they should make their needs known well before election day and appropriate cost sharing arrangements and payments should be made in advance. Usually, media should be allowed to have access to the same results provided by the Electoral Management Body to representatives of political parties/candidates/options.
Route of Statement of the Vote for Each Ballot Box
Copies of the statement of the vote for each ballot box should be provided to the counting official, to the person in charge of combining results for the counting centre, and one should be in a sealed envelope attached to the ballot box. Representatives of political parties/candidates/options present at the counting table, and national/international electoral observers should be allowed to make copies.
Such copies can be made from a multi-part carbon copy form, or through the use of photocopy machine. Alternatively, multiple copies can be prepared by hand.
The original copy of the statement of the vote for a ballot box should be attached to the ballot box in a sealed envelope. This is particularly important for the processing of a recount of the ballots, should it be required.
Route of Statement of Votes for Counting Centre
Copies of the voting results should be provided to the Electoral Management Body (often the original sent in a sealed envelope), to the person responsible for combining results for the counting centre, and one posted outside the counting centre. Such copies can be the result of a multi-part carbon copy form, or through the use of photocopy machine. Alternatively, multiple copies can be prepared by hand.
The representatives of political parties/candidates/options present, and national/international electoral observers, should be permitted to make their own copies by transcribing the information.
Once the cumulative statement of the vote for a counting centre is fully prepared and transmitted to the national office of the Electoral Management Body, a copy can be posted at the outside of the counting centre. This way, the same information and results are made available for everybody, and at the same time. Because witnesses are permitted to observe and scrutinise the counting process, results are public. The statement of the vote becomes a public document that is made evident once it is posted.
For other complementary information on these issues, please refer to Results Reporting.
