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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Alistair ClarkORCiD
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Polling stations are the pinnacle of the electoral process, where voters make their final choice about candidates and governments. They also present a considerable logistical administrative challenge to ensure democratic ideals – such as ballot secrecy, equal access to the vote, etc – are delivered to electors. The interaction of electoral politics and public administration combine in different ways in different countries to contribute to electoral integrity. Yet, remarkably little is known about polling stations and how they operate. This chapter examines their role. The first section asks: what are polling stations? The role of polling stations, how their design and location can contribute to the achievement of electoral principles, and how these aspects vary between countries are examined. The second section develops this analysis to consider the logistical challenge of setting up polling stations across countries. In particular, numbers of polling stations, how they are staffed and by whom, and how all this is resourced will be described. The third section considers the problems that are experienced in polling stations. These include political issues such as electoral fraud and intimidation, through to more administrative difficulties in finding and staffing polling locations. These difficulties are often not immune from wider societal challenges, as brief discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on polling stations indicates. The fourth section considers whether polling stations face a near terminal challenge from the increasing demand for technology. The conclusion will develop several recommendations for policymakers and academic research to address when considering the role of polling stations. Examples are drawn from international evidence, from academic accounts to election observation reports and other data, to develop a picture of the continued centrality of polling stations to electoral integrity.
Author(s): Clark A
Editor(s): Garnett HA; James TS
Publication type: Book Chapter
Publication status: In Press
Book Title: The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity
Year: 2025
Acceptance date: 04/03/2025
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Place Published: New York
