Understanding the polling process

Polling Process

Understanding the
Polling Process
or
How to Bersih-kan
elections

Sources
●  www.hannahyeoh.com

Scope
Only covers
●  The actual voting process on election day
●  PACA
Does NOT cover
●  Postal voting
●  Pre/post election bribery
●  Legally registered 'unqualified' voters
●  Election Observers

PACA
Polling Agent / Counting Agent (PACA)
●  Job: to ensure free and fair elections without:-
–  Multiple voting
–  Voting of non-qualified voters
–  'Phantom' voting
–  Ballot stuffing
●  in EVERY voting stream in the country

Where is Voting Held?
●  In schools (for most areas)
●  Divided into multiple streams (classrooms)
●  Approximately 200-500 voters per stream
●  Voters allocated by IC number (therefore by age)
●  Older voters tend to be in stream 1 (downstairs)

When is Voting Held?
●  Up to the Election Commission
●  Normally a weekend (since schools must be used)
●  8am to 5pm
●  Counting done after 5pm

Who is Involved?
●  Polis
●  Penyelia Pusat Mengundi
●  Ketua Tempat Mengundi (KTM)
●  Kerani Pengundian (KP)
●  Polling Agents / Counting Agents (Station Master)
●  Voters

Can YOU be a PACA?
Qualifications are:-
●  Malaysian citizen >= 21 years old
●  Not a convicted/imprisoned criminal (in last 5
years)
●  Not a bankrupt
●  Appointed by the candidate (IMPORTANT)

Station Master Instructions
(per school)
●  Role: Oversee, lead, and ensure PACA play their
roles
●  Overall coordination
●  Located at meeting points at schools
●  Has a big umbrella and 4x stools
●  Holds PACA kits for distribution
●  Emergency contact for PACAs

All information on this slide is DAP-specific!

PACA Instructions
●  Bring your IC
●  Bring your handphone (fully charged) + battery/
charger
●  Dressing – smart casual (red, NO PARTY LOGO)
–  Collar polo t-shirt / short sleeve shirt
–  Long pants/skirt (no shorts or miniskirts)
–  Shoes (no slippers)
–  No caps

PACA Instructions
●  2 shifts (get PACA kit from station master)
–  Shift 1 – 7am to 1pm
–  Shift 2 – 1pm to 5pm (come at 12pm!)
–  Counting is after 5 pm till whenever (may be same
person)
●  Counting agents to be on-site from 4.15pm for
standby
●  Don't forget to vote yourself!


The PACA Kit
●  Appointment letter (from EC)
●  Borang Sumpah Kerahsiaan (Borang A)
●  SPR ID (with photo)
●  Stationary
●  Borang 14 (x2) and Borang 13 (x2)
●  Count form
●  Paper
●  Electoral roll

Process of Voting
General time-line of election day
●  Sealing of ballot boxes
●  Actual Voting (8am to 5pm)
●  Closing of voting
●  Counting of votes

Sealing of Ballot Box
●  First shift must arrive early (by 7am)
●  Inspect surroundings
●  Inspect ballot box (make sure its empty) BEFORE
it is sealed
●  Sign on seal (leave sample of your signature on the
count form)


Actual Voting
●  Voters are allowed in by policeman (one at a time)
●  Voter hands IC to KP1 for verification
●  KP1 checks if voter has already voted on list
●  KP1 checks voter's finger for indelible ink
●  KP2 marks voter's finger with indelible ink
●  KP1 checks voter's name off the list and reads out
IC number and name

Actual Voting
●  KP1 checks voter's name off the list and reads out
IC number and name
●  KP3 'chops' ballot paper and hands it to voter
–  Please do NOT request another ballot paper as
mentioned in a lot of emails/FB posts
●  Voter marks ballot paper in the booth
●  Voter drops ballot papers in ballot boxes
●  Voter leaves the classroom

Actual Voting (PACA rules)
●  Handphones officially disallowed (but SMS-ing
discreetly has so far been okay)
●  Do not leave the room (if MUST leave, obtain
permission from KTM and BRING your ID and
letter of appointment)
●  Do not drink too much water (no toilet breaks due
to 2-hr rule)
●  Keep alert (always watch the ballot box!)
●  Do not speak to voters
●  Do not display any party symbols

Actual Voting (PACA rules)
●  Do not argue with KTM (has the right to kick you
out)
●  Wear SPR ID at all times
●  If sending an SMS (to station master), ensure
acknowledgement, if none comes, resend
●  Make notes of any irregularities
●  Produce letter of appointment to anyone who
requests it (police, KTM, etc.)
3rd line is DAP-specific!

Actual Voting (PACA role)
●  Be alert, watch out for any irregularities
●  When KP calls name out:-
–  Check to see if name is on the list and if anything seems
wrong
–  Check to see if finger has indelible ink (do not approach
voter)
●  Any other suspicious activity
●  Use ruler and pencil to cancel out voters who have
voted

Actual Voting (PACA role)
●  Count form
–  Contains sample of your signature (for Counting Agent
to verify)
–  Keep a rough count of voter numbers and estimated
ethnicity (DO NOT talk to voter, just best guess)
–  Purpose is for PACA coordinator to monitor trends and
see if any particular segment of society is not voting
(may indicate intimidation or other problems)


Actual Voting (PACA shift change)
●  Ensure smooth transition (wait for a suitable time
to change)
●  Communicate! Share and explain notes
●  For 2nd shift, make sure counts tally on Borang 13

Closing of Voting
●  Closing is at 5pm sharp (sometimes earlier)
–  Anyone inside the room is still allowed to vote
–  The mouth of the ballot box is sealed and signed by
Polling Agent (2nd shift)
–  Polling Agent changeover to Counting Agent (if not the
same person)
●  Do not leave the stream (ballot box) unattended
●  Ensure counting agent is in the stream before
leaving

Counting of Votes
●  Trays (Dulang) will be arranged on the table
–  One tray for each candidate (with party/independent
symbol)
–  UNDI BELUM DIKIRA
–  RAGU
–  DITOLAK
●  Seals on ballot boxes are broken
●  Split for counting (Parliament/State)

Counting of Votes
●  All ballot papers are taken out and placed in the
'UNDI BELUM DIKIRA' tray
●  Tied (counted) in bunches of 10s and 100s with
rubber bands
●  Record how many ballot papers in the box
●  Compare with Borang 13

Counting of Votes
●  If extra in box compared to Borang 13, must find
and remove the extra (based on serial number/
perforation)
●  If same or less, count continues
●  Kerani starts to sort, KTM will state the party name
●  Kerani will place in appropriate tray
●  Any uncertainty, place in the 'RAGU' tray

Counting of Votes
●  Once all split into appropriate trays, any ballot
papers in 'RAGU' tray are re-examined
●  If accepted, will be chopped Diterima and placed
in the appropriate candidate's tray
●  If rejected, will be chopped Ditolak and placed
in the 'DITOLAK' tray
●  Finally, ballot papers in each candidate's tray
counted

Counting of Votes (Recount)
●  Recount can be requested by PACA, SPR, or
Kerani Mengundi if margin is <= 4%

Counting of Votes (Borang 14)
●  Borang 14 contains the official result (after
checking and recount) for the stream
●  Each Counting Agent gets one form which is cross-
signed by KTM and other Counting Agents
●  The MOST important form of the day

Counting of Votes (PACA rules)
●  Do not be late or on time, be early! (4.15 pm)
●  Report to station master and then proceed to stream
●  Otherwise same rules as for Polling Agent apply
●  Know what is considered a vote and what is
considered spoilt (examples to follow)
●  This is the time to be assertive if needed and if
something suspicious is observed (KTM needs
your signature to go home)

Counting of Votes (PACA role)
●  When ballot box seal is broken, check with
signature on count form (1st Polling Agent)
●  If your Parliament/State counterpart is absent,
plead for counting to be consecutive rather than
simultaneous (so that both can be observed)
●  Don't try to count mentally as will affect your
concentration, just identify the 'RAGU' votes
●  If Kerani Mengundi is going too fast, ask to slow
down

Counting of Votes (PACA role)
●  Make sure votes go into the right tray!
●  After all counting is finished, make sure to get
KTM's signature on Borang 14 (if it was 'forgotten',
use the one in your PACA kit), the other Counting
Agent's signature isn't important
●  Hand-deliver Borang 14 back to your station
master, who will hand-deliver it to the campaign
manager


Interpreting Ballot Papers
What makes a Ballot Paper Valid?
●  At least one clear mark indicating candidate choice
What makes a Ballot Paper Invalid?
●  Party symbols/drawings/words/names
●  Markings on more than one candidate
●  Missing perforation
●  Mark is outside the candidate's row
●  Torn paper where perforation is missing


Examples of
Valid Votes


Examples of
Invalid Votes

Understanding the polling process

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