These generally easy to remember numbers enable the public to telephone a call centre from anywhere in the country for no or minimal cost, the cost of the calls being met by the electoral authority. Mobile phones allow individuals to move from location to location while remaining contactable. For electoral administration this is particularly useful for mobile polling teams or roving supervisors. Mobile phones can also be supplied to polling stations where fixed telephones may not be available. Mobile phones can also be used to connect computers to dial-up network connections, email and the internet.
Mobile phones do have limitations.
Coverage by transmission receivers may not be complete, so that mobile phones may not work in some places, particularly remote areas. Mobile phones rely on rechargeable batteries, so they can only be used for a finite time before their batteries need recharging. There may also be some possibility of receiving physical damage from using mobile phones for extended periods, although medical evidence for this is contradictory and not conclusive. They are very effective at transmitting copies of documents very quickly from one location to another. Some fax machines can also be used as local photocopiers.