The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has opened its national operations centre in Pretoria ahead of the 1 March municipal elections.
The centre is housed in a 12 000m^2, three-level hall at the Tshwane Events Centre and will be used as the IEC`s command and control centre. It will also serve as a central point from which the media can monitor incoming results.
The IEC says equipping the centre involved building 200 offices, installing 2km of network cabling and 400 PCs, as well as studios for two TV stations and seven radio stations. The IEC will employ over 500 staff per shift at the centre.
The centre will have a results system technical help-desk, a results problem resolution authority, an electoral operations nerve centre, an IT division and a geographic information system group that will prepare interactive, map-based graphics displays for large projection screens, for the media and for dissemination via the IEC intranet to provincial operations centres.
Operations centres have also been established in all nine provinces.
In officially opening the centre yesterday, IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam emphasised the role technology played in making the election process efficient and transparent.
"Good technology is appropriate technology - it meets identified needs, it exceeds expectations, it makes a difference. The IEC has become known for its use of technology in conducting elections," she said.
"Technology has been used not only to promote arrangements within the short time frames associated with preparations for elections, but also to provide the foundation upon which fundamental electoral operations depend. The technology for the 2004 elections has been improved to meet deadlines and ensure efficiency."
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