Victorian Electoral Commission
a
BALLOT PAPER
TRACKING
POSTAL ELECTIONS
Local
Government
Information
Series 2012
1. Introduction
At all elections the Returning Officer must account for all ballot papers that are prepared,
issued and returned.
Before the commencement of each count, the Returning Officer will also provide scrutineers
with the expected number of envelopes or ballot papers to be accounted for in that count.
The tracking process followed by Victorian Electoral Commission Returning Officers depends
on the type of election being conducted.
This document outlines the process followed for postal elections.
2. Voters Roll
An election is conducted using a roll of those who are entitled to vote. The roll is a snapshot
of all those who are entitled to vote at the time when the roll closed. For local council
elections, this is called entitlement date and for the 2012 elections is at 4.00 pm on Friday 31
August.
3. Despatch of Ballot Material
At a postal election, ballot material is mailed to all voters enrolled for that election. This is
called the “general mailout”.
The general mailout is managed centrally by the Victorian Electoral Commission and the
number of ballot packs dispatched is reconciled against the number of voters on the roll.
In the event that a person does not receive, loses or spoils their ballot material, they may
request the Returning Officer to send “replacement” ballot material. Alternatively, they may
complete their replacement ballot material, in person, at the election office.
In the event that a person claims that they should be on the roll but their name was left off in
error, they may request to be issued with an “unenrolled” vote. This means that their
completed ballot material is enclosed in a declaration envelope and their eligibility is checked
by VEC and council staff before being admitted or rejected from the count.
4. Return of Ballot Material
Voters enclose their completed ballot paper (or ballot papers in the case of Melbourne and
Greater Geelong City Councils), in a ballot paper envelope, sign the declaration on the
removable flap that is attached to the envelope, and enclose the signed envelope in a reply
paid envelope for return to the Returning Officer. Alternatively they may hand deliver their
completed ballot material to the Returning Officer. Only ballot material received by the close
of voting will be considered for the count. The close of voting is at 6.00 pm on Friday 26
October.
When a voter signs the ballot paper envelope, they are declaring that they are the person
named on the envelope, that they have enclosed their completed ballot paper(s) in the
envelope and that they have not voted before in this election.
The Returning Officer removes the returned ballot paper envelope from its mailing envelope
and marks the return of each ballot paper envelope against the voters roll using the barcode
Ballot Paper Tracking – Postal Elections
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or elector information that is printed on the removable flap on the envelope. These flaps are
removed after the close of voting but before the envelopes are opened, so that the way a
person voted cannot be identified.
The Returning Officer tracks the return of “replacement” ballot material to ensure that an
envelope from the “general mailout” is not returned for the same voter. There are steps
prescribed in the Local Government (Electoral) Regulations 2005 for the Returning Officer to
follow to ensure that the same person cannot have more than one vote admitted to the
count.
As “unenrolled” envelopes are returned to the Returning Officer, the voter’s entitlement is
checked by council and VEC to determine if the vote should be admitted to the count.
5. Recording Returned Ballot Material
Returning Officers maintain a comprehensive record of all ballot material returned to them.
An example of the spreadsheet they maintain is shown in Attachment 1 – Record of Ballot
Paper Envelopes Processed. Ballot paper envelopes are stored in batches of 50.
Any envelopes marked return to sender, or without a declaration flap attached, or those not
signed by the voter are also accounted for in this spreadsheet – but are put aside as
“rejected” at this stage.
The issue and return of all ballot material for Victorian council elections conducted by post is
summarized in the following diagram.
Despatch and Return of Ballot Material – Postal Elections
Election Office
Mailhouse
Despatch of ballot packs to
all enrolled voters – “general
mailout”
Issue “replacement” and
“unenrolled” votes
Record all returned ballot
material (see Attachment 1)
VOTERS
6. Extraction of Ballot Papers to be Admitted to the Count
After the close of voting and when all returned ballot material has been processed, the
Returning Officer establishes the total number of ballot paper envelopes to be admitted for
further scrutiny. This is the figure recorded at the foot of the form shown in Attachment 1 –
Record of Ballot Paper Envelopes Processed.
At this point, the identification flaps attached to each envelope are removed. Once the
identification flaps have been removed, the envelopes are opened and ballot papers
extracted.
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During this process, some envelopes are found to be empty and some are found to contain
more than one ballot paper. This can occur when members of the same household enclose
their ballot papers in the same ballot paper envelope. These ballot papers are rejected
because it cannot be determined which ballot paper corresponds to the person who signed
the declaration on the envelope.
In addition, there may be some envelopes mis-sorted from other wards identified during this
process, and some batches may be found to contain more or less than the expected 50
envelopes.
These events are recorded during the extraction process using the form shown in
Attachment 2 – Extraction Worksheet. This enables the Returning Officer to determine the
total number of ballot papers to be included in the count.
Once all ballot papers are extracted and the total number of ballot papers reconciled, the
count is conducted either manually or by computer.
7. Counting
Counts involving single vacancies are counted using the preferential method and counts
involving multiple vacancies are counted using proportional representation.
The following paragraphs and figures are based on an election to fill a single vacancy – but
the principles of reconciliation are the same for both counting methods.
7.1 Manual Counts
Ballot papers are sorted according to each voter’s 1st preference and those determined as
informal are put aside. The result of the first preference count is recorded on the form
shown in Attachment 3 – Voting Results, and the total number of ballot papers reconciled
against the starting figure.
If no candidate achieves an absolute majority (more than 50% of the formal vote), a manual
preference distribution is conducted. At each step in the preference distribution, the total
number of formal votes is reconciled with the total number of formal votes at the start of the
count.
The result of a preference distribution for a single vacancy election is recorded on the form
shown in Attachment 4 – Distribution of Preference Votes.
7.2 Computer Counts
Where a computer count is conducted, the ballot papers are initially sorted to those that
appear to be formal and those that are obviously informal. The formality is checked at the
point of data entry, so there is no need for close scrutiny at this point.
Those ballot papers that are obviously informal are batched into a single batch.
The remaining ballot papers are batched into 50s.
The top half of a Computer Count Batch Advice Summary (see Attachment 5) is completed
by the Returning Officer and the total number of ballot papers is matched back to the total
shown on the Extraction Worksheet shown in Attachment 2.
Once reconciled, the ballot papers are packed into security boxes for transport to the
computer count centre along with the Computer Count Batch Advice Summary.
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On receipt of the ballot papers at the computer count venue, the number of ballot papers is
checked again and the bottom half of the Computer Count Batch Advice Summary is
completed by the computer count team leader – see Attachment 5. A numbered batch card
is attached to each batch of 50 ballot papers and to any short batch.
The preferences recorded on the ballot papers are then data entered, and imported into the
VEC’s computer count application.
During data entry adjustments are made as informal ballot papers are identified in formal
batches and for any batches that are found to contain more or less than 50 ballot papers.
At the completion of data entry, a full reconciliation of all ballot papers recorded in the
system is completed before the result is calculated.
Once the result is calculated, a preference distribution report is generated – see Attachment
4 and the total number of formal and informal ballot papers on that report is reconciled back
to the totals expected before calculation.
7.3 Summary of Counting
The following diagram summarizes the tracking of ballot papers from the close of voting and
throughout the counting process for manual and computer counts. Note that the examples
relate to single vacancy elections only but the principles are the same for multiple vacancies.
Ballot paper reconciliations during counting
Close of Voting - Election Office
Final Processing
Total no. of envelopes to be admitted
determined – See Attachment 1.
Extraction of Ballot Papers
Total no. of ballot papers admitted
determined – See Extraction
Worksheet – Attachment 2.
Manual Count
Sort to 1st preferences and
informal. See Voting Results –
Attachment 3
Check total against Extraction
Worksheet – Attachment 2.
Computer Count
Obviously informal ballot papers
separated
RO completes top of Batch Advice
– Team leader at computer count
venue confirms receipt on bottom
of Batch Advice and batches ballot
papers – Attachment 5
Manual Preference Distribution
Distribution report – Attachment 4
Check total ballot papers against
Voting Results Attachment 3.
Computer Preference
Distribution
Data entry of ballot papers and
adjustments tracked.
Result calculated and distribution
report generated – Attachment 4
Totals checked against starting
total.
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8. Counting Ballot Papers
At the completion of the election, the Returning Officer completes an account of
ballot papers printed, issued and remaining unused. A sample account of ballot
papers is shown below.
Sample Ward
Ballot
Papers
Printed by Victorian Electoral Commission
3,000
Printed by Returning Officer
25
TOTAL PRINTED
3,025
Reconciliation
Issued at general mailout
2,780
Issued to voters in special circumstances (early
votes)
6
Issued to voters for replacement votes
26
Issued to declaration voters
5
Unused
208
TOTAL
3,025
I certify that the above is a true and correct account of ballot-papers used in the Example
Council General Elections held in October 2012.
Colin Jones
Returning Officer
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Attachment 1
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Attachment 2
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Attachment 3
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Attachment 4
Distribution of Preference Votes
Example Shire Council
Sample ward - 1 vacancy
Total valid first preference votes polled for all candidates
Number of votes required to constitute an absolute majority
Number of informal votes
Candidates Names (in ballotpaper order)
SMITH
Total first preference votes
recorded for each candidate
Transfer of 217 ballot-papers
of THOMSON (1st excluded
candidate)
Progressive
Total
Transfer of 288
ballot-papers
of JONES (2nd excluded
candidate)
Progressive Total
Transfer of 537 ballot-papers
of WARREN, Ken (3rd
excluded candidate)
FINAL TOTAL
JONES
2000
1001
37
JOHNSON THOMSON
615
273
534
17
632
15
288
217
BLACK
TOTAL
361
2000
45
579
140
501
217
2000
58
690
194
773
36
537
288
2000
418
1108
119
892
537
2000
Name of ELECTED candidate: SMITH
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Attachment 5
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© State of Victoria 2012
This publication is copyright.
No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance
with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Address all enquiries to the Victorian Electoral Commission,
Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.
Revision: 7 September 2012