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20.04.2024, суббота. Московское время 08:39


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VII. What is the message?

You have come this far with your training plan. But how do you go about establishing your training priorities?

One way to go about it is to ask yourself this question.

«If 1 could only conduct training for this election once,
who would 1 want to be there, and what would t want
them to learn?»

When you consider the bottom line...the ultimate purpose of all this work... the answer becomes pretty obvious.

POLLING DAY PROCEDURES.

If you think about it, those procedures are the core of what virtually every voter, official and participant wants (and needs) to know. After all, election day is like opening night at the theater. All the preparations, logistics, planning, and coordination are focused on this one-time event which will be performed under the harsh spotlight of public scrutiny. It is not a dry run....there will be no second chance. Election day is the ultimate objective. It deserves to be your top TRAINING PRIORITY.!

And, guess what....

You have now also married your priority training prioritiy with your primary training target: Polling Station Election Commissions.

This is also your largest group of individuals who will need training. And, they are your front line of contact with all the voters in your Subject so everything is riding on their performance.

Let's take the concept a step further. The next largest group of officials who will need to understand polling day procedures are the Territorial Election Commission members. Is there anything that a Polling Station Election Commission needs to know, that the Territorial Commission doesn't need to know? Of course not. As their supervisors, the TECs also have to know the polling day procedures extremely well. It is just that the TEC needs to know even more. So, when you think of it, if you develop a training plan centered around the core of information related to the conduct of the poll, the vote count and the summarization of results on election day, you have actually built the foundation for training both levels of election commissions all at once.

You can think of these two most critical stages of your training program as concentric circles with the training programs for the PSECs and the TECs building outward from the core.

And, if their training regarding polling day procedures is thorough, clearly understood and well learned, it is amazing how many other aspects of the election will also fall into place. You will find that while you are developing a comprehensive program for them, you will also discover opportunities to use the blue prints, and the foundation materials you have built, for other target audiences as well. (See...? It does become easier!)

Using the same planning strategies you can elaborate separate additional training exercises and materials that will pertain specifically to the TECs addressing such topics as:

    Administration and budgeting;

    Printing and acquisition of supplies and commodities;

    Petition verification and registration of candidates to the legislative body;

    Distribution of voter lists;

    Facilitation of candidate access to the mass media and organization of public meetings for candidate's campaigns;

    Summarization of election results; and,

    Adjudication of grievances.

Tools of the Trade

For the purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the building the tools for training of polling station election commissions. But, we will also touch on training materials that address the needs of other election participants along the way. Any tips or recommendations utilized in this context can certainly be used for other training objectives for other target audiences.

There are many kinds of materials and instructionaJ.tools that you can provide to help the people who will be carrying out the conduct of the election do their jobs confidently and competently. But, some are a lot more helpful than others, depending on the purpose for which the recipient needs the information. Fundamentally, instructional materials can be divided into two categories:

    those that describe PROCEDURES; and,

    those that describe RULES.

Depending on the intended audience and the specific purpose for which they need the information, one may be more appropriate than the other. For example:

    a polling place worker serving voters on election day is probably more in need of instructions that describe step-by-step procedures;

    A candidate in the process of circulating a petition to secure his or her nomination is probably more interested in the rules that will apply.

The emphasis on one category or the other will often dictate the type and style of the informational tools that should be produced to fulfill their intended purpose.»

You already have materials on hand that can be used as training tools. For practical purposes and for generating the desired results, some will have more merit than others.

Laws and Regulations

The Law is the fundamental RULE book! The laws have probably been your primary learning tool. You and your fellow members of the Subject Election Commission have probably spent countless hours going over every article, detail by detail. They will be the foundation of every regulation you adopt, every policy decision you make, and every instruction you give to subordinate commission. The regulations you adopt are designed to fill in the blanks where the law has left out details. They generally clarify the rules about a very specific issue. Generally, too, a regulation is of special immediate interest to a smaller audience. Two examples of regulations which you have most likely considered or have already adopted are:

    the rules for the alotment of free and paid air time to candidates on state radio and TV; and,

    the rules regarding the gathering of signatures on candidate nominating petitions.

The people most keenly interested in the particulars of these regulations will be those most immediately affected by them, namely, the candidates, nominating organizations, the media and the commissions who will be directly involved in applying them. A member of a polling station election commission will not be directly involved in these aspects of the process and, therefore, is likely to only have a peripheral interest in these rules. When it comes to the laws and the regulations adopted by your commission, you have probably already made lots; of copies, and published them in your bulletins and in your major regional gazette. You have probably also distributed them to a lot of people, like electoral associations, candidates and civic activist in your community. And, when all your subordinate commissions are on bpard, you will probably make sure they receive copies for their home study as well. Absolutely!

But....are they enough?

By reading the law, will officials, especially at polling places, have enough information and procedural detail to process the voters, respond to exceptions to the routine, count the ballots and report the results without confusion or mistakes ?

Probably not.

For the most part, laws'describe the rules....(the «What to...») But, they probably fall short on the «How to...» You have probably already discovered some examples of omissions and deficiencies that leave a number of procedural questions unanswered. Like these....

    The laws may tell citizens and public associations that in order for a candidate to gain access to the ballot they must gather a certain number of signatures. They may tell them where they may collect signatures. They probably do not describe how to do it.

    They may imply that the election commissions «verify» the petitions, but you have probaby found that they do not give you a word of advise as to how to go about it.

    The laws may say to «count» the ballots in the mobile ballot box before the stationary ballot box is opened. They probably do not describe the steps by which they are to be counted. They may not even be clear as to whether «counting» means to determine how many ballots there are in the mobile ballot box, or whether «counting» means to determine the votes cast for each candidate before the stationary ballot boxes are opened.

In addition, the laws are not necessarily the most practical tool for Training specific individuals to accomplish specific tasks.

    The laws cover all aspects of the process, most of which will not be immediately relevant to a particular election worker in carrying out the specific task to which he or she is assigned.

    It is hard to imagine that a polling place worker, with scores of voters lined up through the doorway on election day, will find the rules about how, why, when and by whom an election is called, particiularly relevant to his duties on election day.

    It is not particularly useful or practical for a polling place worker to have to wade through a law 62 articles long to find the one or two that pertain specifically to the operation of the polling station on election day.

    And, if your law is like most election laws, the rules pertaining to a specific function are not necessarily in sequence. To get the full picture of WHAT must be done, you may have to bounce around a lot. In the crunch of election day, this is probably not the best use of your official's time.

Sure, it would be wonderful if everyone, understood every article of law. But, for the average person assigned to perform a specific function, it is probably more than they want (or need) to know. Except among lawmakers who wrote them, senior officials like you who are responsible for carrying them out, candidates and electoral associations who want to be elected, and insomniacs, the election laws are probably not destined for the best seller list!

Yes! Continue to make them available.

    Make sure Territorial Commissions and Polling Station Election Commissions have them on hand at their locations.

    Include them in packets you prepare for candidates.

    Encourage everyone to read them.

But don't rely on the law itself to be your only Training tool!

It may be the RULE book, but your team still needs needs a coach and a game plan!

The «Procedure Manual»

Imagine going through school and university without textbooks! How much might you have learned and how much might you have forgotten if you had to rely totally on the lectures? Especially those you had» to sit through right after the lunch break when a nap would have been more to your liking.

At least during your schooling you attended every day and there was some continuity to your learning experience. But, the election officials working at the polling stations only have one day to get it right! They will probably have their Training in a very condensed time period. And, what they will be required to accomplish will be quite technical and involve a very long sequence of steps beginning with preparations of the polling station, opening of the polls, processing of voters, counting the votes, and reporting the results.

What steps can you afford to have them forget?

No wonder election administrators all over the world rely heavily on PROCEDURAL MANUALS to assist their election officials and polling station workers in carrying out all the required tasks in the appropriate manner.

You don't have to share this with anyone. But, let's be honest....the conduct of an election is not brain surgery! Although the election process is complex with all its component parts (and let's not forget the political headaches that come with the job,) the tasks involved are really quite simple...especially if we think of them one task at a time. Perhaps that is the best advise you can give yourself when you are trying to develop a Procedure Manual for polling station election officials or for any other target audience. Think one task at a time!

Designing a Procedure Manual

There are several key things to remember in creating an effective and useful Procedure Manual:

    Keep it focused! Remember the audience who will be using it.

    Keep it relevant! Zero in on the job to be accomplished.

    Keep it in sequence! Describe the steps in a logical order.

    Keep it simple! (It goes without saying!)
    Keep it simple! (We just couldn't stop ourselves from saying it anyway.)
    Keep it SIMPLE! (Okay!... but it was worth repeating.)

Ideally, the manual should be written from the perspective of the person who will ultimately be learning from it, and who will be relying on it as they carry out their duties. That means placing yourself in the shoes of the person who will be performing the procedures in actual practice.

Another good thing to remember is that your Procedure Manual is not an analysis. It is not a novel. Think of it as a step-by-step instruction booklet. When you buy a do-it-yourself bookshelf, the instructions that come with it don't waste a lot of words. Rather, they rely on illustrations, check lists, and diagrams, they also tend to use sentences rather than paragraphs to describe each step. Experts usually recommend the same approach in writing Procudure Manuals.

So, how do you go about it? Well, you have already begun.

    You have already studied the law. You know the rules.

    Through your analysis of the laws you have determined WHAT must be done.

    Remember the «advise» you gave yourself earlier? Don't try to tackle the whole Procedure Manual all at once. Break it into smaller parts. Think one component at a time.

We've borrowed an idea fromJeffrey D. Blaine, Deputy City Clerk, in Detroit Michigan that might be useful to you as you tackle the challenge of defining procedures in an easy-to-understand format. Generally, his idea involved breaking each part of the procedure into 4 elements:

    Describing the Tasks;

    Analyzing the STEPS required;

    Identifying potential EXCEPTIONS to the routine; and,

    Defining SOLUTIONS.

He inspired the following Task Analysis Work Sheet which is provided here and which serves to illustrate how the job of identifying the sequence of steps necessary to completion of the various tasks involved might be approached.

Breaking the Procedures Down into Smaller Components

Prepare a list of the chapters and sections that you think must beincluded in your Procedure Manual. As you go through this exercies you will be reminded of all the various functions which must be accomplished. Using election day polling procedures, for example, your outline might include the following general headings:

    Setting Up the Polling Station;

    Opening the Polls;

    Processing the Voters;

    Mobile Ballot Box Voting;

    Closing the Polls;

    Before Counting Begins;

    Counting the Ballots;

    Completing the Protocol.

Of course there will be many more components...and within them will be many, many subheadings. Key to the success of your project will be refining your outline in more detail and reviewing it to make sure subjects are in the right SEQUENCE. The more detailed your outline, the more complete your procedure manual will be.

If a Task Analysis Work Sheet is filled out for each task separately you will find that you have got the nuts and bolts of your first, very rough draft of the Procedure Manual. The rest will be making it readable....making it user friendly...and making it pretty!

(A sample outline for a Procedure Manual for Polling Station Election Officials can be found in Appendix A.)

What follows is a sample of how a TASK ANALYSIS WORK SHEET might look when it is filled out.

    Lo, and Behold! You can see that if you took the information that was filled in and made each line a complete sentence, you would have the basic step-by-step PROCEDURES for this task completed.

A similar approach can be taken in identifying EXCEPTIONS to the routine, and defining SOLUTIONS. Here is what an Exception Analysis Work Sheet might look like once it was all filled out. There might be several EXCEPTIONS which polling station election commissions might have to be prepared to deal with, so more than one work sheet might be needed for a specific general task.

A Word About Exceptions to the Routine

There are two approaches to covering EXCEPTIONS to the routine that are commonly used. The first is to actually include them in the manual, placing them immediately after relevant section in which the routine procedures are described.

Another approach is to put the EXCEPTIONS in a supplemental manual for quick reference. This means that the primary Procedure Manual includes all the steps for the routine procedures in the proper order. But, if a problem is encountered, officials refer to the supplemental Exceptions Guide to find the solutions. The Handbook for Polling Station Election Commissions prepared by the Central Election for the State Duma election in 1995 is a perfect example. In case you didn't get one, or if it looks like someone has taken the last copy out of your office, you'll find one in Appendix B)

The example that follow are exerps from Presiding Officer Manual: a Guide to Polling Day Procedures which was prepared by the. Training Institute of the Central Election Commission in Bangladesh. Based on the kinds of exercises which have been described here, you will see that the resulting description of routine tasks incorporates illustrations, and step-by-step procedures described in brief text. The steps are presented almost like a checklist.


Emptying the ballot in front of all present

    Unfold all the ballot papers and create stacks without regard to candidate choice. Instruct teams of Assistant Presiding Officers and Polling Officers to assist in this process.

    Count the total number of ballot papers. Instruct the teams to write the number of ballot papers they have counted on a piece of paper. Check each other's totals as needed. Report the figure you've written to the Presiding Officer.

    Add the total ballot papers counted by each team to determine the total number of ballot papers from all the ballot boxes at the polling station for the poll.

    The Presiding Officer writes the total number of ballot papers from all the used ballot papers counted to all the observers and officials who are present.

2. SORTING THE BALLOT PAPERS BY CANDIDATE CHOICE

    The Present Officer can assign Assistant Presiding Officers and Polling Officers to assist him in the sorting progress. Again, officials assigned to each task should work in teams to promote accuracy.

Quick Reference Guides

Depending on the training method you have selected, and the other materials you intend to have available, you may choose to cut down on the list of officials who will actually receive the complete Procedure Manual. For example, you may choose to distribute only one copy of the Procedural Manual to each Polling Station Election Commission rather than providing each member with his own copy. That would certainly reduce the quantity you need to print and would also save on the costs. As an alternative, you might consider developing QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES for a wider distribution.

Now, here's the good news!

If you've done thorough work in preparing the full Procedure Manual, you will probably find that you can actually pull specific portions of the text which can be used as the basis for your Quick Reference Guides. A Quick Reference Guide is intended to jog the official's memory, not to reiterate every instruction in full detail. So by selecting relevant sections carefully, and editing them down to the bare nuts and bolts, you can develop a very simple but effective tool which outlines basic steps in carrying out routine tasks.

Typically, each Quick Reference Guide covers a single task. They can be produced separately for as many tasks as you think necessary. The elements which are most commonly targetted for Quick Reference Guides are:

    Routine Processing of Voters;

    Counting Procedures; and,

    The Rights of Observers.

They can also be particularly helpful if there is a special task that is only performed occasionally, or by a smaller number of people. Here are a couple of examples.

    A Quick Reference Guide might be a very handy and efficient tool for those officials who will be processing voters who will be voting in advance. It is a task that requires some unique, special steps. But advance voting is only utilized by a relatively small number of voters who know they will be away from their polling sites on election day.

    A Quick Reference Guide might also be useful for officials who will be on duty before election day to facilitate corrections to the voter lists when individuals notify them that their names have been omitted or that information must be updated.

Quick Reference Guides can usually be produced on single sheets of paper printed on both sides, so they can also be very cost effective.

They can also be produced in different formats.

    They can be based on exerpts from your Procedure Manual as we have already discussed.

    They can be designed like a flow chart. This is a technique used by Australia. Instead of text, they prepare Quick Reference Guides that look like a series of boxes connected together by arrows. In each box is a basic step. It is connected to the step in the next box with an arrow pointing the way. This format also allows them to change the direction of the arrows to different steps depending on whether the step is routine, or an exception.

Here is basic example.

Obviously, the flow chart gets expanded, continuing to accommodate the «if yes» and «if no» options. But this over simplified example gives you the idea.

(Guess what! You have just discovered another tool that can help you analyze tasks too, even if you ultimatly choose a text format for your materials! Does it have possibilities?)

    You can also use a Table as a Quick Reference Guide. For example, a table might be a great way to remind officials of when ballots are to be considered «valid» or «invalid.»

    !!!! A»OUBLE DUTY» EXTRA

    The nice thing about quick Reference Guides is that they can be used, and reused for lots of terrific purposes.

    You have have taken great pains (and a few aspirins along the way, no doubt) to make sure that your election commissions are ready to deal with almost any situation. They have been trained, and they have working tools to heJp them get the job done. Well, now there is a bonus. Because you have also created great training toots for some of the other election participants you wanted to help be better informed. You have already done the work,...now let the tools work for yout

    Provide a copy of some of your key Quick Reference Guides to the candidates and their nominating organizations, especially those Guides that cover voting and counting procedures.

    Encourage them to make lots of copies (at their cost, of course) and to distribute them as part of their training materials for their representatives and observers.

    Have extras on hand at the polling stations on election day to give to observers to help them recognize that things are going smoothly. This can go a long way in helping to eliminate some of those frivolous complaints.

    See if some of your Quick Reference Guides can be turned into posters to help voters know what to expect at the polls.

On the pages that follow, you will find examples Quick Reference Gudes in the formats we discussed.

    The «excerpts» format comes from Bangladesh;'

The «flow chart» format comes from Australia; and,

The «table format» comes from......well, we made it up!

Excerpt Style Quick Reference Guide From Bangladesh's Procedure Manual

ELECTORAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

1. POLLING BOOTH QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR CONDUCT OF THE POLL

A. GETTING READY

1. Who May Be Present for the Poll

Partisan Observers

    - Contesting Candidates
    - Election Agents
    - Polling Agents

Neutral Watchers

    - Journalists
    - International Observers
    - Domestic Watchers Representing Non-Governmental Organizations

    - Other Persons Given Permission by the Returning Officer

2. Set Up Polling Booth

    - Set up polling booth to ensure a smooth flow of voters through the process.
    - Provide adequate view for authorized observers.
    - Make secrecy area for voters to mark ballot papers in private.
    - Place ballot box in plain view.
    - Ensure ballots and materials are secure.

3. Before Voting Begins

    - Ensure ballot box(es) are empty.
    - Show empty ballot box(es) to everyone present.
    - Write serial # of ballot box(es) on Recording Ballot Boxes. (Form XIA)
    - Allow observers to sign the form and affix seal if they choose.
    - Announce # of voters on list and # of ballot papers received.

B. ROUTINE PROCESSING OF VOTERS

STEP 1: Voter shows Identification Card.

STEP 2: Find voter's name on voter list and mark and make a tic mark by it.

STEP 3: Inspect voters fingers and apply ink to base of thumb nail.

STEP 4: Place voter's signature or thumbprint on counterfoil.

STEP 5: After writing voter's name and serial # in the counterfoil, tamp the back of the ballot paper with the official mark. Issue the stamped ballot to the voter.

STEP 6: Voter marks his ballot paper in secrecy area before depositing it in ballot box.

C. VOTERS NEEDING SPECIAL PROCESSING

1. Tendered Ballot Papers

Who? A voter who presents an ID Card, but whose name has already been checked on the voter list.

What? Voter must vote Tendered Ballot Paper.

How?

    - Inform voter his name is already marked.
    - If voter still wants to vote, add voter's name to Tendered Votes List.
    - Process voter in normal manner and issue ballot paper.
    - Instruct voter to return voted ballot paper to the Assistant Presiding Officer.
    - Upon voter's return with voted ballot, write voter's name and serial # on back of ballot paper.
    - Put ballot paper in Tendered Ballot Paper Packet for candidate receiving voter's vote.

2. Challenged Ballot Papers

Who? Voter whose identity is challenged by candidate or agent, or who is alleged to have already voted.

What? Voter must vote Challenged Ballot.

How?

    - Inform voter his vote is being challenged.
    - Challenger deposits fee of 5 Taka.
    - Issue a receipt for the fee.
    - Warn voter of consequences.
    - Add vote's name to Challenged Votes List.
    - Process voter in normal manner and issue ballot paper.
    - Voter returns voted ballot to Assistant Presiding Officer.
    - Place voted ballot in Challenged Ballot Paper Packet.

Flow Chart Style Quick Reference Guide (Austrelia: Closing the Polls)

CLOSING PROCEDURES


Увеличить

Table Style Quick Reference Guide (The choices indicated may not be accurate in terms of the rules in your Subject, however, you get the idea.)

DETERMINING VALID AND INVALID BALLOTS

Condition or Manner in Which Ballot is Marked

Valid

Invalid

Ballot Paper is Not in Authorized Format

 

X

Ballot Paper fs Not Marked

 

X

Ballot Paper Has More than One Name Marked

 

X

Ballot Paper Is Marked with a Minus Sign in One Box

X

 

Ballot Paper iHas Tear But is Properly Marked for One Candidate

X

 

Ballot Paper Is Marked in Pencil

X

 

Ballot Paper te Marked With A Circle Around One Candidate's Name

 

X

Ballot Has All Names Crossed Off But One

 

X

Ballot Has Official Stamp But is Not Signed by A Member of Commission

X

 

Ballot Has Big X Mark that Touches Two Boxes

 

X

Ballot Has Written Message On It

 

X

Ballot is Signed by Voter

 

X

Ballot Has Additional Candidate's Name Written in By Voter

 

X

Ballot Has Check Mark in Box

X

 

On-The-Job Aides

As long as you have to do something or prepare something that is just a necessary part of the job, you might as well see how you can make it do !!!Doubte Duty every time you get the chance.

This is especially true in finding ways to improve materials that have to be produced anyway so that they become On-The-Job Aides. The extra planning up front can go a long way to giving your election officials an extra boost when they need it most.

You have probably already thought of a few aides that you have become so used to using that you don't even recognize them as anything special. By now they are probably second nature. But, none the less, they are perfect examples of effective On-the-Job Aides.

    If you are conducting more than one election at the same time, you have probably already recognized that it is helpful to print the different ballots on different colored paper. This is a good example of an On-The-Job Aide. It took you no more effort...the ballots had to be printed anyway...but by color coding them you made the job simpler for your officials.

    Another example of such an Aide would be the preparation of different labels that each identify which documents, ballots and voting materials are to be bundled together in the same package for transer, storage and archiving. The different labels make it easier for the officials when they are closing out their polling station at the end of a very long day. They also help avoid mistakes...so it makes your job easier, too.

    An inventory check-list of supplies which each polling station should make sure they have on hand is also an On-The-Job Aide which takes the guess work out of preparing the site for election day. A check-list will help your election officials to make sure they don't find that they pencils instead of pens for the secrecy cabins, or are missing a particular form.

Speaking Of Forms...

Let's face it...forms are the backbone of the election process. Forms...forms...and more forms.

Designing the necessary forms is one of the most time-consuming and demanding jobs you have. Form design, however, also offer the single most important opportunity to create effective and useful On-The-Job Aides that your subordinate commissions will forever thank you for. Don't expect the phone to ring off the hook. But, they will pay you back many times over with fewer questions and fewer mistakes.

The key to creating forms that are also On-The-Job Aides is to make them

    SELF EXPLANITORY; and,

    USER FRIENDLY.

A good form should need no supplementary instructions. The intent of the form, and the manner in which it is to be filled out should be obvious on the face of the form itself.

No other example illustrates the point more clearly than the protocol form used in the 1996 presidential elections.

The protocol form had two basic pans: 1) accounting for the ballots used at the polling station, and 2) reporting the votes. Generally speaking, the reporting of votes went smoothly. However, observers everywhere noted that completion of the accounting portion did not. Sometimes it is not the training that is the problem, but the flaws in the tools.

It all started with the law itself. The law described 10 items related to ballot accountability that were to be reported. The protocol form was designed to identify those ten items. The problem was that other parts of the law implied that more information also had to be considered. Unfortunately, this additional information was not included in the list of items the law said should be reported on the protocol.

The Central Election Commission did a commendable job in trying to overcome the problem in its publication of Uniform Procedure for the Tabulation of Vote Returns and Compilation of Protocols. For example, the law did not include spoiled ballots among the items to be reported.

Recognizing that nothing could balance unless spoiled ballots were accounted for, however, the CEC instructed that spoiled ballots were to be included in the number of unused (canceled) ballots which the law did include in the list. Likewise, instructions reminded officials that ballots from mobile ballot boxes nullified because they exceeded the number of applications were to be included in the total number of invalid ballots.

Unfortunately, the protocol form itself only provided the original categories as they were identified in the law. However, a number of calculations which were actually necessary were not identified on the protocol itself. That meant that officials had to continually refer to the regulations to figure out how to arrive at the correct entry for several of the categories that were listed on the protocol. At the end of the counting on the nights of the first and second rounds of the presidential elections, it became clear that the process of completing the accounting portion of the protocol was very confusing and difficult for most commissions.

Some of the problems could have been alleviated if the protocol form had been made a better On-The-Job Aide.

To make the protocol SELF EXPLANITORY and USER FRIENDLY, it could have been designed differently to provide space and detail which would allow officials to actually perform the calculations on the face of the protocol itself. Not only would such modifications have made the protocol form easier for officials to use. Display of the individual entries for each element of the mathematical equations involved would also retain the audit trail. Instead of just entering lump sum of each equation, entries of the detail would allow observers, superior election commissions and other interested entities to see how totals were arrived at. This level of detail would also be helpful for review by the courts in the event of a challenges that might be filed based on the results.

What follows is an example of how this portion of the protocol could have been modified to ease the burden on polling station election commissions while helping preserve a more meaningful audit trail. Not only could the form have included all the specific line items that the law requires be enumerated, the form could have reminded officials how to perform the calculations. This example might help you re-check the forms you will be designing to see how they can be made into better On-The-Job Aides.

A SAMPLE PROTOCOL WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY PORTION DESIGNED TO BE AN ON-THE-JOB AIDE

1

Number of Voters on Regular List

   

Number of Voters Added to List

+ __________

Number of Voters Issued Absentee Certificates

- __________

FINAL NUMBER OF VOTERS ON LIST

= __________

       

2

Number of Ballots Issued to Polling Station Commission

       

3

Number of Ballots Given to Voters at the Polling Station en Election Day

       

4

Number of Ballots Given to Voters Who Voted Outside Polling Station

       

5

Number of Unissued Ballots Remaining

   

Number of Ballots Spoiled by Voters

+ __________

TOTAL NUMBER OF UNUSED BALLOTS

= __________

       

6

Number of Ballots Found in Stationary Ballot Box

   

Number in Non-Standard Form Found in Stationary Box

- __________

TOTAL BALLOTS OF STANDARD FORM FOUND IN STATIONARY BALLOT BOX

= __________

       

7

Number of Ballots Found in Mobile Ballot Box

   

Number in Non-Standard Form Found in Mobile Box

- __________

TOTAL BALLOTS OF STANDARD FORM FOUND IN MOBILE BALLOT BOX

= __________

       

8

Total Number of Valid Ballots

       

9

Total Number of Invalid Ballots Due to Errors in Markmq

   

Number of Invalid Ballots Due to a Larger Number of Ballots in Mobile Ballot Box Than Applications

+ __________

       

TOTAL NUMBER OF THESE INVALID BALLOTS

= __________

       

10

Total Number of Invalid Ballots Without Any Markings

       

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