Chain of custody is the process of tracking the control, transfer, handling, and disposition of election equipment, data, and records. Maintaining a verifiable, auditable chain of custody offers proof that items have not been altered, tampered with, or accessed by unauthorized persons.
For election offices, this is a foundational security measure to show the public that the electoral process is secure and free from interference. Every piece of equipment, data, and paper record must be accounted for by documenting who had custody – who was responsible, what action they took, and when it occurred.
To ensure your chain of custody processes are airtight before the election begins, take 30 minutes to review your procedures from end to end, including programming; ballot proofing, preparation and mailing; pollbook preparation; ballot return; tabulation; and canvassing.
- Map and Trace the Workflow
- Account for every asset: Review how changes in location or possession are documented for every piece of equipment, data, and record at every phase.
- Inspect seal protocols: Review your current seal recording forms, noting who logs the information and when.
- Audit with a critical eye: Approach your forms as an outsider with no context about elections, questioning every assumption. Do they clearly describe the item or process they refer to?
- Identify and Close the Gaps
- Look for vulnerabilities: Pinpoint any step where doubt could be cast on whether an item was exclusively in an authorized person’s custody.
- Reconstruct the timeline: Verify that your forms contain enough detail to reconstruct who performed which activity, and when.
- Implement fixes: Fill any identified gaps by introducing new forms or seal records. If existing forms lack necessary detail about the responsible individual or the asset itself, revise them immediately.
Investing time now to evaluate and strengthen your chain of custody can help you – and your voters – be confident that every ballot is securely cast and accurately counted.
Additional Resources
- Center for Internet Security: Election Security Spotlight – Chain of Custody
- The Elections Group: Chain of Custody
- U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence: Drop Box Chain of Custody Tool
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission: Best Practices: Chain of Custody
The Planning Desk is a running timeline of key election security tasks. You can find prior editions in the newsletter archive.