Presdential Elections Manual

Context

Introduction:

Chapter One:  Electoral Commission’s     missions.

o        Supervisory Committees’ duties

o        Main Commissions’ duties

o        Sub-Committees’ duties

 Chapter Two: implementing procedures for cast and count process.

o            Voting Phase

o            Counting Phase

      Appendix

Chapter One

Electoral Commission’s missions.

Supervisory Committees’ duties and responsibilities:

1. Receive from SCER the printed materials and stationeries and others and deliver them to main and sub-committees in all governorates’ districts.

2. Prepare the place for training the main commissions

3. Receive the main commissions and substitute the absenteeism of members per SCER instructions.

4. Supervising the election campaign process according to law,  SCER instructions and election campaign manual.

5. Receive all payments for working committees in the governorates’ constituencies.

6. Make sure of the preparation of main and sub-committees locations in every constituency in liaison with governors and district’s officer.

7. Supervise and follow up with main and sub-committees duties and solve the difficulties that may face them.

8. Execute all SCER instructions and report back to SCER the commissions activities.

9. Follow up the process of casting and counting votes, receive election results and inform SCER and then collect doc and election materials and send them back to their destinations.

Main Commission’s missions:

1)      Heading for the main commission location per timetable

2)      Attend the training course according to the timetable and understand their duties procedures.

3)      Receive all doc. and stationeries from supervisory commissions

4)      Receive all doc. and stationeries for sub-committees from SCER and make sure they are received as shown in this manual.

5)      Receive doc. and materials  for sub-committees training with a list of names of heads and members of the committees within the constituency (males & females).

6)      Determine the election campaign places within the constituencies and give equivalent space for every candidate.

7)      Supervise the election campaign process according to law,  SCER instructions and election campaign manual.

8)      Prepare sub-committees locations within the governorates constituencies.

9)      Control election campaign and  process during voting and the receiving electorates in light of election law , electoral campaign manual and SCER instructions.

10)  Host and train sub-committees (males & females) and substitute the absenteeism.

11)  Hand over to sub-committees all printed materials, doc.

12)  Write the constituency number, polling station, and sub-committee number on the ballot boxes.

13)  Make sure that every sub-committee has received it’s doc.

14)  Follow up receiving of sub-committees to it’s location escorted by security committee

15)  Force sub-committees to do it’s duties according to the timetable

16)  Communicate with sub-committee and supervise their works

17)  Accredit candidates’ representatives letters to attend in election day

18)  Supervise the election process and figure out sub-committees  problems

19)  Answer sub-committee’s questions

20)  Prepare a suitable place where they receive sub-committees with ballot boxes after the voting stage is done

21)  Receive from sub-committees documents and reports and release it’s side and finish the counting process according to law provisions and procedures.

22)  Then main committees submit results and transfer documents and materials per instructions

Sub-committees missions

1)      Heading for the main commission location per timetable

2)      Attend the training course per timetable

3)      Receive doc. and broachers related to training from main commission

4)      Receive all doc. and materials from main commission 

5)      Make sure of receiving all work requirements and it’s order and with security escort.

6)      Set up the polling stations location for election day

7)      Receive letters accredited by main commissions for candidate’s representative

8)      Receive the voters starting from 08:00 a.m.

9)      Finalizing closing of election  process and move, accompanied by security,  with ballot boxes, to main committees locations.

10)  Fill the forms with data  for election day and submit it to the main commission to complete it’s part once they reach the it’s location.

11)  Hand over the ballot boxes , materials to main commissions and release their side.

12)  Present during counting process and sign on all assembly registers and reports minutes.

Chapter Two

Implementing procedures for cast and count process.

Voting Phase

Firs

1)      Orient to the polling station and officer in charge and cooperate with him/her to set up the place and define the suitable hall to implement the election and supply the location with chairs and tables that are needed for work.

2)      Organize ballot room by setting the places of commission tables, ballot box, candidates representatives, and ballot booth.

3)      Male sub-commissions help females sub-commission in setting females polling station( see page 7)

            Second

1)      Sub-committee should received all doc. (see page 8)

2)      Safe  ballot box, doc.(ballot papers) in a secure place

3)      Put or hang copies of candidates lists with their slogans at the hall gate and inside it

Election day morning

            First prior preparations

Heads and members of the committee are committed to attend at 06:00 in the morning.

1. Make sure of the following :

a)      Polling station is ready and every one in his place

b)      Put the ballot box in a visible place

c)      Put the ballot booth in a place that is not easy for others to hear the disabled voter giving instructions to his assistant. 

2. Appoint one member to be the report minutes writer

3. Put materials that voter uses in order in the table per steps orders(see page 10)

At 07:00 morning.

Candidates representatives should be available with their accredited attorney. If non of the candidate neither his accredited attorney showed up till 08:00 the Head of the commission should appoint one of the registered voters to represent him/her(see page 10)

Concluding the cast process  

1.      Casting process continue until 18:00 in the same day. If all voters have attended , Head of commission can announce closing of the boll

2.      polling process may continue till 20:00 if there are still some voters after 18:00

3.      Not allowed to continue polling after 18:00

4.      Minutes taker writes the record minutes as shown in page 13

Moving to the main commission location

        Transfer the ballot boxes with all doc. & materials to the main commission within the constituencies by the ballot commission Heading for and members escorted by candidates representatives as long as security commission is providing the required security. Hand over all that to the main commission and get the release letter per procedures upon finishing from counting process and sign mtg. minutes.

         You are not going to receive your released letter unless you hand over the other materials.

         Make sure of the security coverage during movement to the main commission.

         Take all precaution during moving of the ballot boxes and make sure the ballot box’s  lock is not broken.

         The ballot box should be in the sub- committee custody during the transferring process in side and out side the vehicle and not allowing any one to touch or move it till they reach the main commission location and hand it over officially.

         Priority is given to candidates’ representatives in the vehicle.

         Sub-committee should accompany the ballot box until they arrive the main commission and not leaving the location unless they obtain hand writing received doc. from the main commission that the ballot box was received safely.

Counting Phase

Preparation procedures

Main commission do the following:

      Prepare the counting room : space, light, empty from un necessary items, place to receive the ballot box, enough chairs and tables.

     Make sure of the attendance of candidates representatives and that they are having accredited representative letters for the counting phase.

     In case that the accredited representative is not available, and two any candidate’s representatives will be chosen.

      Designate counting commission from Head and members of the main commission & sub-committees. (Males and Females) in liaison with candidates representatives for the counting process.

     Give serious instructions to security committees to increase  the security measures at the polling station gate and not let in any one who doesn’t have head of commission permission.

      Counting process is non stopped operation starting from the first ballot box to the last one.

      Not allowing any of the counting commission members to exit the room with out -passing written permission, if happen s/he should bring his replacement

       Let in only sub-committee with the ballot box and representatives to hand over the ballot box and in the attendance of the counting candidates representatives.

      It is not allowed for security committees to enter the counting hall unless they are asked by head of the counting commission.

      It is not allowed for candidates representatives in the ballot process to enter the counting hall.

      It is not allowed for executive officer, police officer and soldiers to enter the counting hall after the beginning of the counting process unless they are asked by main commission.

      Security commission , if it is asked, is mandated  to kick out of the counting room any one whatever his rank or position is

Counting Operation:

This stage starts immediately after the receiving of all commissions, doc. ballot boxes and candidates representatives to the main commission.

Receiving commissions and materials:

What main commission do:

-         Receive ballot boxes and put them in the counting room

-         Main commission member sit in the a store room in order to receive the following : ballot booth- piece of clothes-ballot booth stands-indelible ink, finger print stand, seal, un needed doc. ( not needed in the counting procedures)

-        Every committee keeps it’s counting  doc. until counting time (voter registers, additional ballot papers, voting minutes, information cards)

Counting steps

1. Counting commission is composed after the receiving of all ballot boxes from all polling stations  according to election law

2. Starting counting process as follow

Check ballot box no. 1 in the polling station no. A and write the report minutes and sign it and so on

Final report

Counting commission should make sure of the following:

• Doc. no. 4 – check and counting report minutes

• Doc. no. 5 – assembling number of votes list at the level of constituency

• Doc. no. 6 a list of assembling number of votes at the level of districts

• Final report minutes

Moving the doc. and materials

First: transferring the doc. , final reports , cards and final minutes to the SCER

1.      All materials are collected in one box or more ,stamped with red wax and signed by the head and members of the main commission ;finally sealed with the main commission stamp

2.      Put final report plus a copy of the final minute , ballot boxes cards all in special envelop and close it and stamped with red wax then sealed with main commission stamp

3.      Main commission Head transfers ASAP the boxes and the envelop(s) to the SCER.

Second: Transfer the rest of doc. and materials to the supervisory committee

1. Put a copy of the final report and copy of the final minutes in an envelop sealed with red wax and stamped

2. Collect not used doc with empty boxes and ballot booth

3. Main commission member is responsible of transferring and hand over all these to the supervisory commission.