Electronic Voting & Counting Technologies - IFES

PILOT PROJECTThis qualitative data about the use ofelectronic voting and counting technologiesin the pilot project can be collected througha number of means. Interviews can beconducted with a sample of the variousgroups whose opinions will be critical tothe assessment — voters, non-voters,staff, observers, candidates and partyrepresentatives. A sample of voters can beinterviewed as they leave the pilot projectlocations in order to obtain their immediateimpressions of using the electronic votingor counting solutions. In addition, focusgroups can be used to explore the opinionsof stakeholders to some of the key findingsfrom an initial assessment of the pilot.Focus groups can also be used to try andexplore the reasons for unexpected opinionsconsistently expressed in interviews or toexplain anomalous statistical data collectedduring the pilot (for example, high or lowlevels of blank ballots or the time it takes tocast a ballot using the electronic voting orcounting solution).All of these means of evaluating the pilotproject should be utilized in order to obtainas complete a picture as possible of theoperation of the electronic voting or countingtechnology during the pilot and the reactionsof the key stakeholders to using this solution.This evaluation should be written up into aPilot Project Report covering the process ofconducting the pilot project, the conclusionsand recommended next steps with respect toimplementing electronic voting and countingtechnologies (Annex 5 shows a sample tableof contents for an evaluation report).74Electronic Voting & Counting Technologies: A Guide to Conducting Feasibility Studies