The Quick Count and Election Observation

C H A P T E R T W O : G E T T I N G S T A R T E D
14 This chapter stresses the importance of keeping politics in mind because organizing
a quick count can draw support and/or opposition from political factions.
It is never too early to think about this, as ignoring the political repercussions
Ignoring the political
repercussions of decisions
about how to
organize, who to
employ and other
matters can seriously
harm a quick count’s
credibility.
of decisions about how to organize, who to employ and other matters can
seriously harm a quick count’s credibility. Common mistakes of this type include
hiring individuals with partisan reputations or controversial pasts, and accepting
donations from individuals or groups perceived to have political agendas. 2
Even seemingly innocuous decisions can have a political impact, as the
Nicaraguan organization Ethics and Transparency discovered when its observers
were accused of partisan ties because their forms were printed with ink that
was the same color as a political party’s propaganda. Moreover, the quick
count can be seen as provocative or threatening to some political groups, particularly
by those in government. Every effort, therefore, must be made to
analyze the changing political landscape and ensure that the project is both
impartial and widely perceived as impartial.
It is crucial to structure
leadership, staff and
volunteers so that all
sectors of the public,
not just political elites,
perceive the effort
as credible.
LEADERSHIP AND STAFF
The leadership and senior staff form a group that becomes the public face of
the organization. This group, as a whole, must be viewed as credible. As discussed
in Chapter One, credibility has two components: independence and
competence. In order to be seen as independent, groups almost always exclude
individuals with partisan political backgrounds. In addition, groups may seek
to include representatives of various social groups to ensure actual and perceived
political neutrality. It is crucial to structure leadership, staff and volunteers
so that all sectors of the public, not just political elites, perceive the effort as
credible. This means that women must be brought into key leadership, staff
and volunteer roles. Appropriate inclusion of ethnic, linguistic, religious and
other groups may also be important. To demonstrate competence, groups fill
staff positions with individuals who are well-respected and who have reputations
for being effective at what they do.
The Board of Directors
It is almost always advantageous to establish an oversight body, such as a
board of directors, for a quick count project, whether the quick count is organized
by a single organization or a coalition. Each organization should analyze
the makeup and functions of the board of directors (also commonly referred
to as the executive council or steering committee) before undertaking a quick
count. The ideal board will:
• comprise several well-known and respected individuals;
• represent a cross-section of society, including civic activists, professionals,
academics, businesspeople and religious leaders;
2
As noted above, political parties also must establish the credibility of their quick count efforts, if the
results are to be perceived as reliable. Those who conduct the quick count operations for a party
must do so on the strict basis of gaining accurate results. Employing outside, politically neutral
experts to help design the quick count and review its implementation can help to establish credibility.
The party can maintain control of findings, as with opinion poll data. Reliable quick counts
allow the party to accurately assess election-day processes, which is important for making judgements
about characterizing election results and about pursuing complaints.