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A Complete Guide to the Inspector of Elections Duties

April 25, 2023

An Inspector of Elections is responsible for ensuring a fair and transparent election process for member-based organizations such as housing associations, alumni associations, unions, political parties, and non-government organizations (NGOs). These organizations rely on elections for their structure and order, which makes having free and fair elections extremely important.

How so? Elections are the vehicles that ensure the most qualified and deserving candidates are shortlisted for each role. They then make important decisions and lead the organization. Unfair or biased elections could lead to divisions within an organization, gridlocks in decision-making, or conflicts among the leadership and membership.

As such, an Inspector of Elections carries a great deal of responsibility on his or her shoulders. In this post, we'll explore these responsibilities in detail, along with the challenges faced by inspectors of elections and possible solutions.

What Are the Key Responsibilities of an Inspector of Elections?

The key responsibility of an Inspector of Elections is to ensure that the election results are error-free and just. To make this possible, an inspector of elections performs different tasks at each stage of the election process. Here's a detailed breakdown of what they do:

Pre-Election Tasks

Before the elections take place, an inspector of Elections needs to:

  • Verify the eligibility of voters
  • Organize election materials
  • Prepare polling stations

The exact protocol for each of these measures depends on an organization’s type and internal rules. For example, inspectors will assess candidate eligibility for an alumni association election by checking if their data exists in the university’s database. 

Similarly, if the elections are for an NGO, the Inspector of Elections will ensure the candidates are of legal age and have a good character with no criminal record and they qualify for the position.

Election materials may include online voting platforms, ballots, pens, papers, voting machines, election notices, candidate information, voter lists, voter authentication material (e.g., identification cards), and result reporting materials. The polling station is set up with these materials.

If the elections are large scale, an Inspector of Elections may also need to arrange a team to manage each polling station. The team may include polling clerks, ballot box guards, presiding officers, and other support staff.

During the Election

During elections, an Inspector of Elections is in action and onsite. They monitor the election to ensure all procedures and rules are followed correctly. They also check the voting equipment before the polling begins, observe the voters during elections, and answer any questions or concerns that may arise.

Post-Election Activities

After the elections, an Inspector of Elections collects the votes, counts them, and prepares a summary of the results. To ensure there is a correct count of votes, they compare the number of votes with the number of voters. Because this is often a manual process, it's very vulnerable to human error unless done using an online voting platform.

In addition to counting votes, Inspectors of Elections are responsible for securing election materials, including ballot papers, voting equipment, and any other documents related to the election. They may also debrief the team and collect feedback about how the process went.

Once they deliver the results to the appropriate authorities, an Inspector of Elections may be expected to securely archive and store materials and equipment for safety purposes.

An Inspector of Elections' Challenges

There are a wide range of issues an Inspector of Elections faces throughout the election process. These include:

  • Identifying and verifying votes
  • Accurately recording and counting votes
  • Handling disputes

An Inspector of Elections may also deal with technical glitches. However, among these, the biggest challenge faced by inspectors of elections is the potential for human error when counting votes–this could lead to biased or unjust election outcomes.

According to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice, human error accounts for a significant number of voting machine problems. They can include anything from miscounting ballots to improperly setting up voting machines. Unfortunately, even small errors by inspectors of elections can have a major impact on election outcomes.

How to Overcome Challenges

To address the challenges faced during the election process, an Inspector of Elections can implement the following measures:

  • Provide clear instructions and guidelines to voters
  • Ensure adequate staffing levels
  • Implement appropriate security protocols
  • Incorporate online voting systems to improve efficiency and accuracy

Note that you can conduct both onsite and offsite elections using online voting systems. These are excellent ways to eliminate human error, possibilities of disputes, and mishandling of election materials. 

We also recommend that an Inspector of Elections enroll in training programs and acquire the knowledge and skills required to deal with a range of unexpected scenarios. Proper training can help an inspector develop contingency plans to address problematic situations even before they arise.

For more helpful election information, be sure to check out our post on HOA inspector of elections in California.

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