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e-Counting Solution - Changes to Processes from Manual to e-Counting

Maintaining Processes

DRS works in partnership with public authorities to ensure as many of the existing procedures and practices in the lead-up to election day are maintained, directing the use of technology to the back-end of the process.  As a result the operation of polling stations/precincts can remain unchanged.  The extent of the change for presiding/polling officers is simply to distribute and handle a modified ballot paper.

Voter experience

For an electorate familiar with manual counts, the voter experience will remain virtually unchanged when using DRS e-Counting solutions.  Other than the inclusion of additional secure identifiers on each ballot paper, the voter will complete their ballot paper in much the same way that they always have, helping to ensure confidence in a known and trusted method of voting. 

It should be noted that the secure marks are simply the ballot papers unique form identifier and are there to ensure a fraudulent ballot cannot be entered, or a ballot cannot be counted twice. These increase the security of the ballot and cannot be traced back to the individual voter, unless required in existing legislation. 

Ballot box receipt

Existing procedures and practices for the receipt of polling station ballot boxes and postal/absent voter ballot papers and for the organisation of the count venue will remain relatively unchanged, allowing core election staff to use existing, proven administration models.

Ballot paper scanning

It is at the count itself where the key changes and improvements to the existing process are applied.  This part of the process will look very different to an observer.  But it is here, at the administrative back end, where technology can be harnessed safely and securely, in a controlled manor.  Rows of ballot scanners will be visible rather than teams of human counters.  Efficiency, security, accuracy and transparency are all of upmost importance in an e-count.  The Image Mark Readers will check the legitimacy and verify the ballot papers, count multiple votes, applying all the necessary voting systems and calculation rules, record an unadulterated image of papers where the voters intent is not clear and send these images to the Returning Officer for on-screen manual adjudication.  All of this is performed in real time and in a matter of seconds.  

Ballots can be scanned in any orientation - ie. face-up or face-down, top-first or bottom-first.  Polling station batches simply need to be straightened up in preparation for scanning, but their orientation does not need to be standardised.  Printed results and intermediate data are made available in an agreed format.  Many existing manual audit procedures can be integrated in the automatic counting process, if required.

The DRS solution uses a unique method of identifying and processing spoilt ballot papers.  Unlike many systems, the DRS solution is able to read and record information about each individual ballot paper in real time - ie. by the time the ballot paper has been through the scanner the system holds a considerable amount of information about the ballot paper including its unique form identifier, what ballot type it is and if it is in the correct batch.  As a result ballot papers can be physically outsorted/routed at the scanning stage or a digital image of the ballot paper can be taken and passed electronically to the Returning Officer or his/her staff.

Ballot paper verification

As each ballot is scanned, its unique form identifiers are used to automatically check that:

  • the ballot paper is of the expected type and carries a valid unique identifier
  • a ballot paper with the same unique identifier has not been previously scanned in that polling station batch
  • the ballot paper has not been skewed or otherwise affected by the scanning process so as to make detection of the voter’s mark unreliable
  • no more than the permitted number of votes is detected in the relevant voting areas
  • the ballot paper is not blank, nor contains other marks outside the voting areas - these might cause the ballot paper to be rejected and so require adjudication by an Election Official

The Image Mark Reader will identify any ballot paper that does not meet these and other predetermined criteria by the authority.

Ballot paper adjudication

Any ballot papers that fail the election or security rules are identified as requiring adjudication.  The DRS Image Mark Reader takes a complete unadulterated digital image of any ballot papers that do not meet these rules and passes them to a station manned by election staff for on-screen adjudication.  This unique and sophisticated method of handling doubtful ballot papers greatly reduces the amount of manual movement of papers and therefore reduces the risk of errors caused by handling. Adjudication is usually performed on a large screen so all observers can take part in the process. 

Ballot papers presented for adjudication pass through two separate queues – a standard queue and a senior official queue.  This allows count staff to do a first-pass of doubtful ballot papers as soon as they are available and enter results on any that are deemed straightforward.   This mechanism maps the current process used in many manual counts, where count supervisors would make decisions on some ballot papers at the counting tables.

Any ballot papers still deemed to be doubtful are then escalated to the Senior Election Official queue.  The adjudication of these ballots can then only be performed by an authorised member of the Returning Officer’s team.