Chapter 2 - Preparing for polling day
Conducting a state election is one of the largest logistical events that occurs within South Australia. It relies on a significant number of tasks and activities that are meticulously planned and executed to deliver an event that takes place on an immutable deadline of the third Saturday in March every 4 years.
Some of these key tasks and activities include:
ECSA has a small permanent staff of 32 who project manage the tasks and activities outlined above; however, in the months leading up to polling day, staffing numbers expand to include more than 6,000 temporary election staff who all work towards making polling day and its associated activities run as smoothly as possible. It is also interesting to note that approximately 5,500 staff work across the state on polling day alone.
A significant challenge in the planning for polling day was the COVID-19 pandemic. In late November 2021, the interstate and international borders were opened and with that came a new wave of COVID cases within South Australia. Case numbers were at levels the state had never experienced before and with little sign of reducing before 19 March 2022.
ECSA needed to focus on the safe delivery of services for voters and staff at polling places as well as provide voting options for COVID-affected electors subject to mandatory quarantine or isolation.
To do this, ECSA ensured COVID-safe protocols such as room density limits, mask wearing, social distancing and hand sanitisation stations were in place at every EVC, polling day booth and ECSA worksite.
Additionally, ECSA worked with the State Coordinator and SA Health in issuing voting packs from established RAT collection sites and incorporated provisions in the Emergency Management Directions to allow electors to leave quarantine or isolation to collect a voting pack or post their completed declaration voting papers.
This approach was well received and utilised by COVID-affected electors in South Australia.
In Chapter 2 - Preparing for polling day...
Staffing
A total of 6,096 staff were employed in 7,317 separate positions for the election. The table below shows the position categories and the number of staff in each category compared to the 2018 election.
Election workforce by category, 2018-2022:
A new online employment system, the ECSA Employment Portal, was implemented for the election.
The employment portal manages the end-to-end lifecycle for an employee and encompasses an online registration of interest (ROI) process, consolidated recruitment and onboarding processes, payroll management and captures performance assessment ratings.
The portal facilitated the modernisation and professionalism of the recruitment, selection, onboarding and time recording approach for the temporary election workforce (TEW) that included the following benefits:
A key activity in ECSA’s 2021–22 Corporate Plan was to ensure that the diversity of the TEW was reflective of the South Australian community for the election.
For the first time, ECSA developed workforce diversity targets for its TEW with a focus on the employment of people living with disability, First Nations peoples, CALD and youth (17–24 years).
The achievement of these workforce diversity targets was largely successful and provides ECSA the opportunity to benchmark this information for future elections.
The following tables outline the targets and actual results for workforce diversity and age range.
Diversity profile:
Age profile:
For the election, a mandatory vaccination policy was in place that required potential staff to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of that vaccination before they could be employed.
Engagement of staff - transparency and accountability
ECSA has a strong focus on ensuring the integrity, neutrality, and professionalism of its TEW and performed pre-employment screenings on potential staff to determine their suitability for employment.
Criminal history checks were conducted for all staff undertaking a supervisory or senior role, and anyone directly involved with vulnerable people, such as First Nations peoples. For the first time, this included all polling booth managers and early voting centre managers.
As a result of 841 criminal history checks, only 2 individuals were excluded from employment: one for recent theft and one for serious driving offences.
All staff were required to complete the ‘Code of Conduct for Electoral Officers’ as part of registering their interest in employment. Any person who is engaged to work for ECSA is placed in a unique position of trust, which requires the highest standards of ethical behaviour that reflect community expectations, and accordingly, they must not participate in any behaviour that would bring into question the independence or impartiality of the agency.
Each (potential) staff member responded to mandatory questions relating to political activity, associations with political parties or candidates, participation in political messaging or commentary on social media, criminal history and actual or potential conflicts of interest whether real or perceived or arising from patronage or nepotism. Any disclosures made under the code of conduct were escalated to the Electoral Commissioner to determine suitability for employment.
The 62 people excluded from employment were predominantly due to political activity including current or previous political party membership or a family or close friendship association with a candidate. Other exclusions included political commentary on social media and declared criminal history.
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Returning officers
Returning officers (ROs) are responsible to the Electoral Commissioner for the management and conduct of state elections in a designated House of Assembly district and are required to manage a range of election activities. These include inspecting and hiring polling booths, recruiting and training staff, the receipt and declaration of nominations and the draw for position on ballot papers, monitoring polling day activities, managing scrutiny procedures, reconciling and completing election returns, and declaring the poll. An additional RO is responsible for conducting the Legislative Council election.
The process for filling the 47 House of Assembly RO positions was more comprehensive and rigorous than at previous elections to ensure that ECSA employed highly capable and professional people to perform these important senior election roles.
The recruitment and selection process involved the following:
The RO cohort consisted of 29 individuals who had previously undertaken the role, 14 who had previous election experience as either district support officers or polling booth managers, and 4 who were new to elections.
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Returning officer liaison officers
Four returning officer liaison officers (ROLOs) were appointed to mentor and support a designated group of ROs and to ensure they met their obligations.
This included assisting with the coordination of staffing and training, attending district offices before and after polling day, providing support and advice during rechecks and recounts, and maintaining regular liaison to monitor election progress and identify potential concerns.
These officers also provided support to ROs managing districts where a close count was expected.
Assistant returning officers
For the election, it was determined that the level of support required by ROs would be higher than in previous years, and ECSA also needed to develop and build capability into its workforce to ensure there would be suitably capable people to perform RO positions in the future.
As a result, ECSA increased the level of responsibility delegated to district support officers (DSOs) and renamed the position to assistant returning officer (ARO).
The purpose of the ARO is to manage a range of critical tasks for the election and understudy the RO, including a readiness to step into the RO role if required.
Due to the increased level of responsibility and the requirement to step up, the recruitment process mirrored that of the ROs and was conducted jointly.
The ARO cohort included 9 people with previous experience in the same role or as a DSO, and 17 with previous election experience.
Feature: Making roles more open and accessible
Prior to 2022, ECSA appointed ROs for state elections based on their experience in the same role at previous elections. While this approach was successful in ensuring appropriately experienced individuals were performing this important role, a lack of gender and age diversity was identified, as well as a lack of succession planning for future elections should this cohort of ROs no longer be available. The perceived requirement to have prior experience as an RO meant there were limited opportunities to undertake this type of role.
As a result, ECSA decided to change the overall approach to the recruitment, selection, and appointment of ROs for the election and make the process and role open and accessible to more individuals, including those without previous experience. This approach included the following:
In implementing this new approach, ECSA was able to achieve a balance between different profiles in terms of age, gender, and experience. Where possible, new ROs were paired with an experienced ARO in a shared office location with other experienced ROs, so they had additional hands-on guidance and support available.
They all participated in an extensive training program encompassing online training modules, webinars, and face-to-face workshops over a 6–month period to ensure they had the relevant skills and knowledge to perform the role.
One of the ROs new to elections was Heather Bitter, who performed the role for the district of Schubert.
In search of trying something new and different, Heather found an advertisement for RO roles at the election and, from reading the job description, could see how her skills and abilities would fit well with what is required in the role.
Heather enjoyed the selection process and was thrilled to be offered a position as an RO.
Quote from Heather Bitter
Though stressful and time-bound for the intense election period, I reflect how much I enjoyed the whole process and achieving the desired outcome.
Knowing that every person’s vote counted in my area of responsibility was extremely satisfying.
The fact I could hold ‘hand on heart’ and say the results were true and correct, was incredibly rewarding.
Would I do this role again if I could? Absolutely! To be a returning officer, was a decision I’ll never regret."
Feature: Democratic family traditions
When siblings Lynton and Robert Barry started working at elections during the 1970s, they had no idea their passion for democracy would continue through the generations to come.
Since 1979, Lynton Barry has worked at several federal, state, and council elections in many roles, including as a returning officer, early voting officer, and polling booth manager.
Lynton’s wife, Kay, and their daughters, Belinda Elsegood and Michelle Judd, joined Lynton during the 1980s. Eldest daughter Belinda worked at her first election, the 1987 Australian federal election, at the age of 18. Michelle’s first election was the 1989 South Australian state election.
Belinda’s husband, Ian, and Michelle’s husband, Evan, embraced the family passion for democracy and began working at elections during the 1990s. The passion for democracy has continued, with 5 of Lynton’s grandchildren having worked at several elections since 2012.
Most recently, at the 2022 State Election, Belinda and her daughter Lauren worked as returning officers, Belinda for the district of Colton and Lauren for the district of West Torrens. Also, Michelle was the returning officer for the district of Waite, and her eldest daughter Phoebe was the assistant returning officer for the district of Kavel.
It is encouraging that family connections, such as those with the Elsegood and Judd families, are helping build a strong, positive culture of election participation within the South Australian community.
Quote from Belinda Elsegood
It is so fair, where every formal vote counts. We have recruited various friends along the way and have made many friends while working at elections."
Training
Following the 2018 election, ECSA identified the need to improve training systems and successfully implemented a new e-learning platform for the election in 2022.
Training for the election was an area of considerable focus to ensure all staff received and understood the appropriate training to undertake their roles. Historically, training consisted of distributing hard copies of manuals to each role, with more senior positions receiving specific face-to-face training. There was no mechanism to track learning completion other than workshop attendance, and there was no capacity to assess competence.
In 2022, the launch of e-learning for most roles, together with greater professionalism in delivering face-to-face training, allowed ECSA to track every individual’s learning and assessment completion and therefore have a much higher degree of certainty about the competence of the TEW.
To support the delivery of e-learning, a business improvement from the 2018 election, ECSA procured and implemented a learning management system to manage the delivery of all TEW training.
Completion data indicates that most training participants completed the modules and assessments with success. Those who did experience issues were ably assisted by the employment help desk and training team.
Survey data from those who underwent the training indicates a very high satisfaction rate.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the move to e-learning allowed ECSA to effectively manage over 200 staff replacements in the 24 hours prior to polling day. This assisted new staff in receiving their training within hours of their appointment, thus allowing them to be effectively upskilled prior to commencement. This agile response helped ensure the quality of the election.
Fifty-three e-learning modules and assessments and 5 videos were produced in-house, which not only resulted in a very low production cost but also allowed for a few last-minute changes. Training by way of a workshop or webinar was also provided to many categories of election staff
The COVID-19 environment presented many challenges with the delivery of in-person training, and a considerable number of catch-up events had to be held for personnel who missed training due to ill health or were late recruits. The move to webinars was widely appreciated and allowed for specific topics to be covered in detail while minimising the need for country staff to travel.
In 2022, training not only covered the full range of voting processes but also focussed heavily on upskilling the TEW on a wide range of new and existing technologies. These included the electronic mark-off system, the employment portal, the learning management system, Microsoft Teams, the declaration vote module, and the results entry system.
All training materials were developed in-house through a consultation process with subject matter experts across ECSA, as well as reviewing past election training materials and feedback.
A training and assessment policy was implemented that required TEW staff to be ‘certified’ before commencement of work; certification was awarded upon the successful completion of the required training for each role.
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Interstate secondments
ECSA participates in a reciprocal agreement with interstate electoral commissions for the secondment of staff to assist with state election delivery. This agreement provides ECSA with experienced electoral staff from other commissions while also offering development opportunities for ECSA staff who travel to other jurisdictions to assist when requested.
The secondment program for the 2022 election did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and not having experienced staff from other electoral commissions placed additional strain on ECSA’s limited resources during the planning and delivery of the election.
Modernising electoral services - Capacity to succeed
The small number of permanent positions at ECSA (32 full-time employees) is insufficient to manage the additional complexities and requirements of planning and delivering a state election.
Although additional staff are engaged to assist with large-scale electoral events, permanent staff are still required to manage significant workloads and work considerable hours over a two-year period.
Opportunities for leave are reduced, resulting in staff accumulating large leave balances and unhealthy levels of fatigue and stress.
Recent surveys indicate only 11% of ECSA staff considered staffing levels to be sufficient during the election period, and over 60% of staff said the pressures of their role did not allow them to achieve a work-life balance.
ECSA must ensure it has sufficient staffing capacity, expertise, and the best possible organisational structure to meet the challenge of running elections in a sustainable manner and deliver the program of modernisation outlined in this report. To achieve these aims, ECSA has commenced an organisational review of its structure and staffing numbers that will be completed in 2023.
Accommodation
In the 12 months preceding the election, ECSA undertook the challenging task of securing 751 premises in metropolitan Adelaide and across the state to accommodate ROs, EVCs, polling booths, the call centre, and the central processing centre (CPC).
The four-year election cycle poses a significant challenge in that premises must be identified and leases negotiated with a range of stakeholders, including building owners and agents. This would not be possible without the tireless efforts of ECSA’s Facilities Manager, Geoff Schneider, who led the project to secure premises appropriate to the function and location required.
For premises to be occupied by ROs, short-term leases were negotiated to cover the 2 months they were required (February and March). An additional extension option for 3–4 weeks was also sought to cover the possibility of a March federal election. These premises host a variety of undertakings, including the training of electoral officers, the receipt and dispatch of election materials, the counting of votes, general administration, and interactions with candidates and the public.
In regional areas, premises need to be in the closest major regional centre associated with the relevant electoral district.
Central processing centre
ECSA secured around 1,700 square metres of office and warehouse accommodation in Hindmarsh, near the Adelaide CBD, to provide suitable space and facilities for:
Polling place selection
A total of 689 polling booths were established in 604 locations for the election, 4 fewer than in 2018. Eighty-seven were shared polling booths located near electoral district boundaries that facilitate issuing ordinary votes for more than one district.
Whilst most venues are unchanged from election to election, they were all thoroughly assessed and inspected prior to engagement. Notably, 299 of the polling booths were at SA government schools and TAFE SA campuses. ECSA worked closely with the Department for Education to ensure minimal disruption to the operation of the schools and campuses.
EVCs are more difficult to secure as ECSA only needs to rent them for approximately one month, which includes move-in and set-up, voting for 2 weeks, and final pack-up and departure. Like the RO premises, an extension option for 2–3 weeks was also required for the potential federal election conflict.
There were 37 early voting centres, up from 22 in 2018, providing more convenient and accessible venues in the metropolitan and regional areas. Several metropolitan EVCs were located on or near district boundaries to serve 2 or more districts.
The complex process of identifying and selecting polling booths and EVCs commenced almost a year before polling day. It included consideration of the locations used at the previous state election as well as those used by the AEC for the 2019 federal election, as well as analysis of the likely impacts of the changes to House of Assembly district boundaries and predicted voter participation.
Business improvements arising from the 2018 election placed accessibility at the forefront of premises criteria. The development of a premises inspection tool was undertaken to assist ROs and project managers with venue selection. This new tool was informed by a National Polling Place Accessibility Standard Working Group and a similar tool developed by the AEC. A consistent set of questions, along with shared definitions and standards relating to polling place accessibility, meant that a universal and objective standard was applied across all districts, and an accessibility rating was generated by answers to criteria.
Once this process was completed, a list of recommended polling booth locations was provided to ROs, who visited the locations to conduct an inspection and ensure the venues were fit for purpose. While there was a focus on securing fully accessible booths wherever possible, in some instances, particularly in smaller regional towns, ECSA was constrained by the limited choices available. This is partly compounded by the reluctance of the commercial property market to agree to short-term leases. As a result, several premises were neither the optimal size nor the standard required.
In total, ECSA staff undertook inspections of 671 potential locations. Of the 604 ultimately selected, 160 were deemed fully accessible, 407 were deemed partially accessible with assistance, and 37 were deemed not accessible. These 37 (6%) were investigated and ultimately approved for use as the vast majority were the only premises available within the polling locale (small towns, other venues booked).
ECSA prefers using public schools as polling booths as they are conveniently located, highly accessible, and available at significantly reduced costs. For the election, 49.5% of all polling booths were located at public schools, with the remaining 50.5% consisting of private schools, town, church, and RSL halls, community centres, recreation centres, and sporting clubs.
Materials
All election material and equipment is ordered around March of the year preceding the election and stored until November, when it is then packed into kits at the CPC warehouse facility. There were over 2,000 individual kits of various sizes prepared by a team of around 12 staff. The content of the kits is calculated using the anticipated number of voters attending booths, and the delivery to RO offices in February 2022 was undertaken according to a set dispatch schedule.
The transportation of election materials was an extensive logistical exercise, with 694 deliveries made to 47 locations across South Australia. ECSA also organised the delivery of furniture and equipment to district offices, EVCs, interstate EVCs, and 3 overseas locations.
The COVID-19 environment made sourcing potential transport providers more challenging, as some companies were hesitant to take on the contract due to an increased demand for courier work and many were experiencing staff shortages. The delivery of items was also impacted due to supply chain issues and a world-wide shortage of shipping containers. Items that normally would be available within weeks of ordering took months to deliver. The storage of some COVID-specific items also proved challenging, particularly hand sanitiser, which by law has storage limitations because it is classified as a dangerous substance
Ballot paper production
After nominations closed and the draws were conducted, the production of ballot papers for postal voting, early voting, remote polling, special COVID voting locations, and district polling booths commenced.
Ballot paper templates were provided to the printer soon after the completion of the draws so the tight next-day deadline to produce overseas early voting and postal voting ballot papers could be met.
In total, 3,150,050 House of Assembly district ballot papers were produced and 2,173,500 for the Legislative Council, with comprehensive proofing performed by ECSA staff throughout the printing process to ensure accuracy. A high priority is placed on the secure storage and transport of ballot papers, particularly during the return of ballot materials to the CPC.
Secure election systems
In 2018, ECSA deployed a suite of secure backend systems to help support the election process. Since then, the systems have continued to be enhanced and new capabilities added, providing an improved ICT solution for the 2022 election.
Existing systems
No changes were made to the existing state election management system,