We explained it already, but we will do so again.
Six different sets of people come together to conduct an election. They each play different roles, but each role is designed to be a check and balance of some aspect of the poll. They are the Returning Officer, the Presiding Officer, the Poll Clerk, the Party (Polling) Agent, the Tally Clerk, and of course, the Supervisor of Elections. In this episode, we will examine the critical role of each one, as set out by law.
The principle role of the Returning Officer is to distribute all polling paraphernalia – boxes, ballots, ink, books, oaths etc. It is the returning Officer who reports the result of the poll to the Supervisor for onward transmission to the Governor General. He solves and resolves most issues that arise on polling day.
The Presiding Officer is the one in charge of the actual polling station. They issue the ballot, give instructions and control the entry of the ballot into the ballot box. It is their responsibility to ensure that the voter hasn’t already voted and may not vote again by ensuring that the finger is dipped in the indelible ink. They must be the final verifier that the voter is who he says he is and is duly registered. It is the Presiding Officer who must administer the oath to anyone who doesn’t quite meet all the requirements for voting, but meets enough not to be disenfranchised.
The Polling Clerk is the book-keeper. He/she records all that happens in the polling station for the entire day. Who votes, their occupation, their address, the id used, the oath taken. A special book is provided for this purpose.
The Tally Clerk is the one who keeps the official record of the count of the votes on a special form provided.
There are two types of Agents, one who watches the actual polling and one who helps keep score at the count. There is one each for each candidate. The former, polling agent, is expected to be sharp. They must know what is allowable from what is not. They have a right to object to a voter being offered a ballot if things are not right. They are usually party faithfuls, but more importantly, they must be knowledgeable about the polling process. They and the Presiding Officer are the only ones given a picture list for guidance.
The Tally Agents keep score along with the Tally Clerk. Hey are like auditors, the count is not released to the Supervisor of Elections until they agree. They can request a recount; some say that recount must be limited to two.
The Supervisor of Elections is the one who gets sued.
In 2006, I served as a Returning Officer. A young man turned up at a polling station whose name was given as, shall we say, John Public. His gave his occupation and address. One of the polling agents objected to him voting. She didn’t deny the name or the address of the “impostor”; instead she said he couldn’t be what he said he was because the person he was impersonating had died some time ago, and had been her neighbor. Besides, she knew that when her neighbor was making a living, the young impostor was going to school. Ergo, he could not be John Public of that occupation and of that address. She was right. She was a good agent for her party and for democracy.
Contrast that agent with this one who raised no objection when, according to one of the rejected candidates, a dead man voted. Maybe he/she fainted when the deceased turned up. One wonders if that agent really understood the role he/she was to execute.
Let me acknowledge again the work of all the persons who came together to make the elections of 2017 as successful as it was. There were logistical challenges to be sure, but together we overcame. A big thank you to all.
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