While it is not possible to cover in this brief summary all possible responsibility models, it is useful to look at what the core voting operations functions of electoral management bodies might be, and what voting operations responsibilities could, given a neutral social environment, reside elsewhere if cost-effective. In assessing what the electoral management body's core voting operations functions are, it is necessary to determine in what areas the electoral management body adds value to voting operations processes through any unique expertise, public perceptions of integrity, and resource advantages. Other voting operations functions that do not involve an election-specific skill base possibly can be contracted elsewhere, in accordance with the electoral management body's available expertise, resources, relative costs and performance abilities. In determining whether functions can be outsourced, these factors must outweigh any potential cost savings. Materials design and production, media placement and information delivery may be better handled by specialist communications agencies, and assisted by using community bodies.
Materials design for forms and ballot papers.
This responsibility may be better placed with communications and production specialists, working to strict electoral management body specifications. While low volume forms may be effectively produced in-house, maintaining large scale production facilities for high volume forms and other voting operations equipment and materials is unlikely to be an effective use of electoral management body resources. Selection of staff for voting stations and ballot counting centres. This is a massive task at a time of other intense demands on electoral management bodies resources. Given the dispersed and labour-intensive nature of voting operations, this may be better left to recruitment experts working to strict, monitored selection standards.