Speed and Efficiency of the Vote Counting Process Norwegian E-Vote Project Jordi Barrat i Esteve, Ben Goldsmith and John Turner June 2012 TION FO DA R N EL U E O C F I T O L R A F A N L O S I Y T E S A Global Expertise. Local Solutions. T N E R M E S Sustainable Democracy. S T N I 2 5 Y E A R S Speed and Efficiency of the Vote Counting Process Copyright © 2012 International Foundation for Electoral Systems. All rights reserved. Permission Statement: No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of IFES. Requests for permission should include the following information: A description of the material for which permission to copy is desired. The purpose for which the copied material will be used and the manner in which it will be used. 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As the global leader in democracy promotion, we advance good governance and democratic rights by: Providing technical assistance to election officials Empowering the under-represented to participate in the political process Applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle Since 1987, IFES has worked in over 135 countries – from developing democracies, to mature democracies. For more information, visit www.IFES.org. Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 1 Research Approach ............................................................................................................................. 1 Research Findings ............................................................................................................................... 2 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 4 OPPSUMMERING AV RAPPORT 4 .................................................................................................. 5 2. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 6 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 9 Control Municipalities ...................................................................................................................... 12 Speed of the Counting and Results Process ..................................................................................... 13 Efficiency of the Counting and Results Process ................................................................................ 13 Quality of the Counting and Results Process .................................................................................... 14 Trust in the Counting and Results Process ....................................................................................... 15 Research Tools .................................................................................................................................. 16 4. OVERVIEW OF COUNTING AND RESULTS SYSTEM .................................................................... 18 Existing System ................................................................................................................................. 18 Internet Ballot Count Process ........................................................................................................... 20 5. COUNTING AND RESULTS PROCESS DATA ................................................................................ 23 Base Electoral Data ........................................................................................................................... 23 Cleansing, Mixing and Counting Process .......................................................................................... 25 Quantitative Data ............................................................................................................................. 28 Declaration Time of Results ............................................................................................... 28 Invalid Ballots .................................................................................................................... 38 Complaints ......................................................................................................................... 41 Local Democracy Survey Results ....................................................................................... 42 Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews ............................................................................................ 45 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 47 Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 47 Summary of Focus Groups – Pilot Municipality Stakeholders .......................................... 48 Summary of Focus Groups – National Stakeholders ......................................................... 49 Focus Group Conclusions .................................................................................................. 50 Summary of In-Depth Interviews ...................................................................................... 50 Questions on Resource Allocation .................................................................................................... 52 Questions to Municipalities ............................................................................................... 52 Questions to the Ministry .................................................................................................. 55 Audit Results ..................................................................................................................................... 56 6. COUNTING AND RESULTS PROCESS PROBLEMS ........................................................................ 59 Vote Cleansed for Late Submission .................................................................................................. 59 Invalid Internet Votes ....................................................................................................................... 59 Manual Entry of Preliminary Results for Advance Votes .................................................................. 61 Finnmark/Hammerfest ..................................................................................................................... 61 Scanning of Ballots in Ålesund Municipality ..................................................................................... 61 7. SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS .................................................................................................. 63 Speed of the Counting and Results Process ..................................................................................... 63 Efficiency of the Counting and Results Process ................................................................................ 64 Quality of the Counting and Results Process .................................................................................... 66 Trust in the Counting and Results Process ....................................................................................... 67 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 70 ANNEXES .................................................................................................................................... 72 Annex 1 – List of Control Municipalities ........................................................................................... 72 Hedmark County (Tynset) .................................................................................................. 72 Vestfold County (Re).......................................................................................................... 72 Vest-Agder County (Mandal) ............................................................................................. 72 Rogaland County (Sandnes)............................................................................................... 72 Hordaland County (Radøy) ................................................................................................ 72 Sogn og Fjordane County(Bremanger) .............................................................................