Apply to work at elections

Each autumn, canvassers are employed by the Electoral Registration Officer to visit properties where the occupants have not returned their annual canvass form.

This ensures that all eligible residents are registered and that those no longer eligible for inclusion on the register are removed.

Staff are employed to open postal votes. This usually takes place during the daytime only, before the election. On the day of election, a team will be needed to open postal votes that are handed in on the day.

Postal vote scanners verify that the signature and date of birth match those provided on the original application form.

The polling staff are responsible for the conduct of the ballot in each polling station, ensuring that the proper voting procedure is followed. On election day polling staff are required to work from 6:30 am until after 10 pm without leaving the polling station. They are also required to attend a training session for national elections. In addition, polling station staff ensure that voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere

A Poll Clerk will assist the Presiding Officer to run a polling station.

They will help to:

• set up polling station equipment
• issue ballot papers to members of the public
• mark the electoral register
• complete paperwork

A Presiding Officer is responsible for the station and will assign work to the Poll Clerks.

They will:

• ensure the accuracy of the poll
• account for all of the ballot papers
• collect and deliver the ballot box

They may also have responsibility for ensuring their polling building is open and closed on the day.

A Polling Station Inspector (PSI) supports the Presiding Officers to ensure that their polling stations are being managed well.

They will:

• make regular visits to each station
• provide telephone support to their Presiding Officers
• ensure that the requirements for completing the legal paperwork is understood
• offer assistance or training if required
• provide details of emergency proxy information and clerical errors to Presiding Officers
• communicate with the PSI Manager to relay any concerns throughout the day

PSIs are responsible for ensuring that polling stations are open and operating in accordance with election rules and the instructions of the Returning Officer.

They must have a comprehensive knowledge of the voting procedures and the ability to deal with and correct any problems that arise.

After the polling station has closed, Presiding Officers deliver the ballot box to handover staff who carry out preliminary checks on items returned before allowing any paperwork to move forward to the verification and count process. The focus of this role is accuracy and diligence.

Ballot Box Receiver Leads will:

• work in pairs to organise and lead on receiving ballot boxes and packets
• check in ballot boxes and packets, ensuring everything is returned
• either call out or record

This is an outside role so staff may need to be prepared for wet or cold conditions.

Ballot Box Receiver Support Staff will help unload boxes and packets from cars and transfer them to the lorry. This is an outside role so staff may need to be prepared for wet or cold conditions.

Outside runners will take trollies of Ballot Boxes, yellow Postal Vote packets, and other paperwork from receivers to a secure location.

Staff may need to be prepared for wet or cold conditions. Inside runners will take Ballot Boxes from the secure area to count teams.

Once ballot boxes are all received at the count venue, the runners will be required to assist with other work during the night and to help with the clear up at the end.

Counting staff are employed to count the votes at the time and place appointed by the Returning Officer.

For a General Election, this usually takes place on the night of the election, continuing through the night. For Local Authority and Parish Council Elections, the count will take place during daytime hours (often the day following the election).

A Count Supervisor (CS) is responsible for a count team (often comprising 6 to 8 counters) and for opening the ballot boxes and distributing the ballot papers across their team of counters.

The first stage will be the verification stage, this is to simply verify how many ballot papers are in the box.

The second stage is the count where the votes are sorted into each candidate, together with setting aside any proposed rejected or ‘doubtful’ ballot papers.

A CS is required to brief their team on the procedures to be implemented, ensuring you accurately record the total figures.

The purpose of a Count Assistant (CA) is to verify that the number of votes in each ballot box matches the number of ballot papers issued at the polling station and then count the votes for each candidate in the election.

The CA’s duties are straightforward but undertaken in an environment that can at times be pressurised as the count takes place in the presence of candidates, their counting agents or other observers.

Care must be taken to help prevent miscounting from happening. At a single election, the count will take place immediately after Stage 1 – Verification. At a combined election, where more than one election is being run, the Count – Stage 2 may take place the following days.

When the count is completed, staff will be needed to sort returned equipment or paperwork and reorganise them back into store.