The Quick Count and Election Observation

THE QUICK COUNT AND ELECTION OBSERVATION
of directors. Groups may require political neutrality or seek political balance,
and they may seek to represent various cultural, ethnic or regional groups.
Personnel are commonly organized into functional teams, as shown below: 4
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A typical quick count organizational chart is shown below:
Board of Directors
Advisors
FUNCTIONAL TEAMS:
Executive Director
ADMINISTRATION:
• Executive Director
• Accountant
MEDIA:
• Media/
Communications
Specialist
TECHNICAL:
• Statistician
• Computer Specialist
• Database Manager
VOLUNTEER
COORDINATION:
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Lead Trainer
• Logistics Specialist
• Regional Coordinators
Typically, the most experienced staff member from each functional team serves
as a team leader. This facilitates decision-making and streamlines communications
between teams.
FIGURE 2-2:
QUICK COUNT ORGANIZATION
The executive director and functional team jobs almost always require significant
time commitments and/or specific technical skills and are, therefore,
paid. Regional coordinators are usually not paid but take on the position with
the understanding that all expenses will be reimbursed.
Financial considerations usually limit an organization’s ability to hire full-time
people, particularly early in the project. Early in the planning and organizing
process, each team may combine positions, delegate tasks to volunteers or
enlist the help of members of the board of directors. Some examples of creative
work assignments are:
• an accountant takes on office management responsibilities;
• a volunteer manages the reception area;
• the statistician consults part-time;
• the computer specialist also designs the database system; and
• volunteer lawyers or professors design observer manuals and forms.
4
The work of the administration team is discussed in this chapter. Chapter Three discusses media
work; Chapter Four outlines the responsibilities of the volunteer coordination team; Chapters Five,
Six and Seven detail technical work.