Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long has the company provided scrutineering services?
As part of the Electoral Reform Society, ERS scrutineered its first ballot in the UK in 1898. Our relationship with some clients extends back to over a century.

2. Is the company's name widely recognised and trusted?
The Electoral Reform name is by far the most well known and respected name in balloting. No other organisation can come close to matching our list or range of clients.

3. Do you only work for UK organisations?
No. We work for many international and overseas organisations as well. Our secure internet voting service (see below) was specifically designed so voting can take place from anywhere in the world.

4. As legislative and other requirements vary from one type of ballot to another, can the company provide adequate references from organisations that have undertaken similar types of ballots?
ERS is experienced in every sphere of balloting from Company AGMs to Trade Union elections and will freely provide references that are directly relevant to any project that a client may be considering.

5. How would the company charge for its services?
ERS has no beneficial shareholders and has always been able to offer very competitive charges. The Electoral Reform Group operates on a not-for-profit basis, offering free advice to hundreds of organisations on electoral issues. We will be happy to provide a scale of charges on request.

6. How many permanent staff does the company employ directly on ballot work?
ERS has over 100 permanent staff, experienced in every aspect of ballot administration, some of whom have been with the organisation for over 20 years.

7. Would the company have sufficient control of the whole process to guarantee to meet my deadlines?
ERS staff have direct control over the whole of the ballot process from artwork design to count. This affords total security and flexibility to any project undertaken, guaranteeing that timetables can be met.

8. Would my ballot papers be security printed in-house by experienced staff or would the printing be subcontracted to a third party?
ERS designs and produces the artwork and security prints ballot papers in-house. The system is totally controlled by its own staff.

9. Would the mailing of my ballot papers be undertaken in-house by ERS staff or would this work be subcontracted to a mailing house?
ERS has its own internal mailing house which utilises the latest video-imaging systems for addressing envelopes. C4 and C5 mailing machines are all fitted with infra-red detectors to prevent misfilling. This service is used by such organisations as the Bank of England, the Law Society and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, even for mailings that don't involve a ballot.

10. Does ERS have the capacity to process and count all its ballot work securely in-house or has it ever subcontracted counting to third parties?
ERS has the latest electronic scanning equipment and vote count software in-house and has handled numerous projects with over a million responses. No ballot counting has ever been subcontracted to a third party.


11. Are the telephone and internet voting systems hosted in-house or are they subcontracted to a third party?
Both the internet and telephone voting systems were developed by ERS' IT department. These are hosted and managed by ERS. Both of these systems can be operated 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

12. What security does ERS have in place to ensure that internet voting results cannot be altered and that the system cannot be brought down by hackers?
Whilst other suppliers will try to put you off by claims of proprietary information - ERS will not! The internet voting system that ERS uses has 1024-bit encryption which ensures that election results cannot be altered. The system uses uninterruptible power supplies and is physically protected by a non-destructive fire suppression system. The redundant architecture of the system allows round-the-clock voting without concern for equipment failure or malicious attacks.


13. How are the security codes generated for the telephone and internet voting systems?
Our IT department generates Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and these are printed onto ballot papers or distributed by email ourselves. These numbers are randomly generated to ensure that the codes cannot be reproduced elsewhere either by accident or as an attempt to influence the result of a ballot. For additional security PINs can only be used once and any further attempts will be rejected.


14. Do you only test opinion through ballots and elections?
No. Our Research division can design and implement a survey or other form of research if this is more appropriate for your needs.


15. Can you help us improve communications with our membership when we are not holding an election?
Yes. Our subsidiary company Membership Engagement Services can help you keep connected to your membership at all times. From running an effective database to improving your internal communications, we can ensure your members are kept informed and consulted.