Polling station staff briefing session

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Polling station staff briefing session

• UK Parliamentary general election

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Introduction

• (Acting) Returning Officer
• Electoral Services Manager

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Objectives of the trainingsession

• Your role is key you are the customer service
  face of the election.
• At this session we will
• outline what we expect you to do on polling day
• discuss the voting procedure
• think about health and safety issues
• highlight a number of administrative arrangements
  

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Overview of the UKParliamentary election

• On insert date there will be elections to the
  UK Parliament
• Polling hours 7am to 10pm

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It is essential that you

• act impartially at all times
• comply with any instructions issued by the
  (Acting) Returning
• Officer
• ensure the secrecy and security of the ballot

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The Presiding Officer management of the
polling station

• Liaise with the key-holder of the building
• Organise the layout of the polling station
• Instruct and supervise the work of the Poll
  Clerks
• Account for all the ballot papers, ballot boxes
  and paperwork

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The PresidingOfficer practical tasks

• Overview of issue of ballot papers to voters
• Deal with special voting procedures
• Ask the prescribed questions when necessary
• Receive postal votes delivered by voters
• Manage the attendance of those entitled to be
  present in the polling station, and ensure they
  do not interfere with the voting process
• Monitor the activities of tellers
• Keep the polling station neat and tidy
• Ensure that all signs and notices are clear,
  visible and remain in place

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The Poll Clerk general duties

• Assist with the layout of the polling station and
  prepare for the opening of the poll
• Be polite and professional in dealing with
  voters, candidates, agents and others entitled to
  be present
• Check that electors are eligible to vote in the
  election and at that polling station

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The Poll Clerk specific tasks

• Check and mark the elector numbers in the
  register of electors
• Enter the electors elector numbers on the
  Corresponding Number List (CNL)
• Issue ballot papers to voters, ensuring they bear
  the official mark
• Ensure that voters cast their votes in secret
• Help with any other polling station duties on the
  instructions of the Presiding Officer

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Countdown topolling day

• Essential tasks
• Visit polling place and check out contact and
  access arrangements
• Check out arrangements for ballot box collection
  and check contents as soon as possible
• Contact other members of the team
• Dress code ensure clothing reflects
  professionalism and impartiality but is also
  comfortable

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Polling station inspectors

• Supplies of stationery and equipment
• Responsible for
• Checking layout of stations
• Checking things are running smoothly
• Collecting any returned postal votes
• Distributing payments
• Contact numbers

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Risks

• Cant make contact with key-holder
• Cant gain access to the polling station
• Staff failing to turn up or being late
• Problems affecting the display of notices
• Wrong registers allocated to the station
• The ballot paper numbers do not match those
  pre-printed on the CNL

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The Polling Station
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Setting up thepolling station

• Layout / notices (see set-up checklist in
  Appendix 11 to Polling station handbook)
• must work primarily for the voter
• walk route voter expected to follow
• accessible to all voters
• Location of ballot box(es)
• accessible and secure
• Arrange each set of ballot papers in numerical
  order
• Tellers and agents
• who can enter the polling station?
• Sealing the box(es)

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Polling station layout
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Polling station layout
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Who can enter the polling station?

• Voters
• Acting Returning Officer and staff
• Candidates, their election agents, sub-agents and
  polling agents
• Police officers on duty
• Representatives of the Electoral Commission
• Accredited observers
• Under 18s accompanying voters
• Companions of voters with disabilities

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Two types of ID issued by the Electoral Commission
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Customer care

• Show a personal interest
• Be helpful and approachable
• Listen and empathise with them
• Allow them to put their point across before
  responding
• Tell them what you can do
• But the election rules must be followed at all
  times if in doubt, contact the elections office

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Customer care

• Ensure that the voting process is accessible to
  all
• layout must work for all voters, including
  wheelchair users
• stationery provided in alternative languages and
  formats should be clearly visible
• tactile template needs to be clearly visible and
  you should be confident in using it
• you must be able to provide information to
  disabled electors on options for voting aided and
  unaided

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Who can and cannot vote?

• Using the electoral register and corresponding
  number lists

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Who is eligible?

• Electors with no letters or dates before their
  name
• Electors who are 18 years of age or over on the
  day of the election
• Electors with an F overseas voters
• Electors who have registered anonymously who have
  an N instead of a name

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Who cannot vote?

• Electors with date of birth on register which
  shows they are not 18 years of age on polling day
• Electors with an A postal voters
• Electors with an E before their name
• Electors with an G before their name
• Electors with a K before their name
• Electors with an L before their name

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Issuing the ballot papers

• Marking the register and the CNL
• Mark electors elector number in the register
• Enter the electors elector number on the
  Corresponding Number List (CNL)
• Do NOT write the elector number on the ballot
  paper!
• Ballot papers
• Do not fold. Ask voters to fold their ballot
  paper in the polling booth after marking it.
• Official mark
• Ballot paper number and unique Identifying Mark
  (UIM)

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Marking the register

• Click to return to slide

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The Corresponding Number List (CNL)
BC 27/1

• Click to return to slide

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Back of ballot paper
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Marking the ballot paper

• Some electors may need to have the voting process
  explained to them
• Voters have one vote. They can vote for one
  candidate and should place a cross in the blank
  box next to the one they wish to vote for.
• The person who receives the most votes in the
  constituency gets a seat in the UK Parliament.

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What happens if?

• you are handed a certificate of employment
• a voter spoils the ballot paper
• a voter has nominated a proxy but the voter
  arrives before the proxy
• a person arrives to vote but the register
  indicates the person has already voted
• a person arrives to vote but the register
  indicates the person is a postal voter
• a person arrives wanting to vote as an emergency
  proxy
• a person believes they should be on the register
  but they are not listed
• there is a disturbance at the polling station

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The prescribed questions

• The prescribed questions must be asked
• when the Presiding Officer requires them to be
• when you suspect personation
• when a registered elector is clearly under age
• when a candidate, an election agent or polling
  agent requests them
• always before issuing a tendered ballot paper

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Postal Votes

• voters can hand in their postal votes at any
  polling station in the constituency (check a pack
  is for the constituency before accepting it)
• returned postal ballot packs must be sealed and
  labelled as instructed
• insert procedure for collection of postal ballot
  packs by the (Acting) Returning Officer during
  the day

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Postal votes

• A markers cannot be given an ordinary ballot
  paper at the polling station
• direct to (Acting) Returning Officer for
  replacement (before 5pm)
• tendered ballot paper procedure after 5pm
• exception where elector claims never to have
  applied for a postal vote. In such case, they
  would be eligible for a tendered at any time.

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Close of Poll
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Close of Poll

• Must close at 10 pm
• Make sure the doors are closed
• Anyone who has been issued with a ballot paper by
  10 pm must be allowed to vote
• However cannot issue after 10pm, even if elector
  was in a queue at 10pm
• Seal ballot box in the presence of candidates,
  election and polling agents, accredited observers
  and Electoral Commission representatives. Agents
  entitled to affix seals.

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After close of poll

• Absolutely essential that the ballot paper
  account is completed accurately
• The ballot paper account must be placed in the
  envelope provided keep this with the ballot box
• Ensure all documents placed in correct packets
  and signed as appropriate

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What happens if

• During the day tendered papers are wrongly issued
• an accident occurs in the polling station
• an incident outside the polling station prevents
  the Presiding Officer from leaving for the count

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Health andsafety

• never put the safety of anyone inside the polling
  station at risk
• be aware to any potential risks to safety
• inspect the premises regularly
• if hazards are discovered find a remedy
• if an accident occurs follow procedures
• be careful when lifting heavy objects

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Questions
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Additional Information

• Election Team Contacts
• ESM
• Staffing Officer
• Polling Station Officer
• Electoral Commission website
• www.electoralcommission.org.uk
• www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
• Feedback Sheets