WELCOME
TO
T THE
THE
WELCOME
TO
THE
Developed by the
INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS
The Election Toolkit has been designed for
you and your students to explore
the process of voting and elections.
It’s a handy all-in-one kit to help you
run your own election. It includes most
of the paperwork you will need.
Templates of all documents are available in
the downloadable pack. Please photocopy
items to suit your group size. You will need
scissors or a guillotine.
parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
We hope that the toolkit will demystify the election process and
encourage students to consider our democratic rights in the UK.
The toolkit is designed to be intuitive and experiential and includes
a flow chart with the key steps to take. This PowerPoint
presentation has been created as a more in depth guide to take
you through the process if you would like some more support.
An election can be run in a minimum of two lessons, or a double
period, or it can be extended in stages over a longer period of
time. You may want to print out individual slides for your students’
reference.
Please feel free to adapt to your own style and needs. Let us know
what you’ve done with the kit. We welcome your feedback and
hope you enjoy using it.
Email us with your feedback on education@parliament.uk or
Tweet using the hashtag #electiontoolkit
Now get started!
WELCOME TO YOUR ELECTION TOOLKIT
In May 2015, a General Election will
be held in the UK.
In an election, citizens aged 18 and over can
choose to vote for a candidate to represent
them and their constituency in Parliament.
Those elected candidates become MPs.
The right to vote in an election is the
heartbeat of our democracy and the act
of placing a vote is a momentous
and empowering experience.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
12
18
16
THE TOOLKIT
Parliament has created an Election Toolkit
to enable you to experience the lead up
to and the process of an election.
The toolkit includes everything you need to
replicate the real thing in 10 clear steps.
Everyone will have a role in making the
election happen.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
THE TOOLKIT
Included in the toolkit are:
— Polling Station Role Cards
— Security Seals (apply with glue)
— Polling Station Poster
— Manifesto Posters
— Policy Cards
— Poll Card Template
— Ballot Paper Template
— Voter Profile Sheet Template
— Electoral Register
— Rosette Template
Blank versions of most of the paperwork are available if required.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
RUN YOUR ELECTION IN TEN STEPS
RUN YOUR
ELECTION IN TEN STEPS
STEP 1 — REGISTER TO VOTE
STEP 1
To take part in an election every eligible citizen
can register to vote, either by returning a
registration card they receive from their local
council or online. You can register from the
age of 16.
Before you start, in the toolkit you will find
an Electoral Register. Pass the register
around and encourage everyone to fill in their
details.
Remember, if you’re not registered
you can’t vote.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 2 — VOTER PROFILES
STEP 2 — VOTER PROFILES
STEP 2
Before we get started, it’s time to think
about a very important participant in an
election; the VOTER!
Take a moment to reflect on yourself
and the community you live in and
on the country as a whole.
Doing this will help you decide who you
might vote for in your election.
— What issues motivate you or concern you?
Transport, innovation and business or international
development for example?
— What change would you like to see in your local area
or country as a whole?
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES
STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES
STEP 3
Everyone has a part to play in this election.
Please divide up into the following teams
and discuss your roles and responsibilities.
Party Teams
— 4 x candidates + teams
Polling Station Teams
— Registrar + team
— Polling Officer + team
— Chief Counter + team
— Polling Station Manager + team
All the students in class that registered
are also voters.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES: DIVISION
4 PARTY CANDIDATES
1 CANDIDATE FOR EACH
PARTY
1 POLLING OFFICER
+ TEAM
PARTY TEAM
MEMBERS
1 CHIEF COUNTER
+ TEAM
1 REGISTRAR
+ TEAM
1 POLLING STATION
MANAGER
+ TEAM
STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES: DIVISION
The class should now divide into two. The class
will work in Party teams and Polling Station teams
to prepare for the election.
You will be working on your roles and responsibilities
at the same time as each other so it is important
you are clear on what you are doing.
Polling Station teams can begin to prepare
for the election using the team leader’s instructions,
while Party teams can complete their manifestos
following upcoming directions.
If preferred, all students can stay together as instructions for both teams are
read out across the following slides.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 4 — PARTIES
Party teams should choose or be
assigned a party name and poster
and create a manifesto using the
Policy Cards provided (one policy
from each of the 12 categories).
Polling Station team leaders will collect
their Role Cards with team instructions
to complete official paperwork and
prepare the Polling Station.
STEP 4 — PARTIES
STEP 4
When we vote in an election we vote for
a candidate representing our constituency.
Each candidate will fight the election
on a manifesto – a set of ideas and policies
that a political party sets out to achieve
if they get into power. Although candidates
can stand as independents.
Party teams will now create their
own manifesto using the Manifesto Poster
Template and Policy Cards.
Before you start, teams could create their own rosettes using the
template provided and craft supplies!
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 5 — MANIFESTO
STEP 5 — MANIFESTO
STEP 5
Each party will receive 12 Policy Cards.
Each policy is drawn from a set of topics
such as Education, Transport, Health etc.
Study your selection in detail.
Using debate and discussion narrow down
your policies to just 3 — the ones you think
are most important to the party.
Think about how your team might achieve
each policy and what you may have to
compromise on.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
STEP 5 — MANIFESTO
STEP 5
Your final selection of 3 policies makes
a completed manifesto.
Have a discussion as a group about what
makes your manifesto stand out. This will
help you present your policies to the
electorate later on in the process.
Make sure you attach your policies to the
Manifesto Poster Template provided.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
MEANWHILE......
MEANWHILE…
MEANWHILE…
STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
STEP 6
By now the Polling Station team should be
aware of their roles and be setting up an
election in the space provided.
Just in case; team instructions are on the
Polling Station Role Cards and an overview
of tasks can be found on the next slide too.
If any team has time they can talk over the
discussion topic on their Role Cards.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — ROLES DESCRIPTIONS
STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
Registrar team
Polling Officer team
— Complete Poll Cards using
voter details from the Electoral
Register.
— Complete the Ballot Papers,
adding the candidate details.
— Make a ballot box using a
printer paper box or similar.
— Distribute Poll Cards
to the electorate.
— At election, the Registrar will
sign off voters as they arrive using
Electoral Register.
— If you have time, customise
the box with your school
name or party names.
— At election, the Polling Officer
will hand out Ballot Papers.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — MORE ROLES DESCRIPTIONS
STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
Chief Counter team
— Ensure the Ballot Box
is empty and seal it with a Security
Seal and glue.
— Create forms to record the
results, one for each counter.
— After the vote is complete, break
the seal on the box. Each counter
must count the votes and record
their numbers on their form.
— The Chief Counter must check
the forms to verify the count and
supply final figures to ‘Returning
Officer’.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
Polling Station
Manager team
— Find a suitable private area for
the Polling Booth.
— Create a Polling Booth using
card and provide pens.
— Put up Polling Station poster.
— Set-up a table for the Registrar
and Polling Officer to sit at.
— At election, the Polling Station
Manager must ensure all voters
queue in an orderly fashion.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 7 — PRESENTING MANIFESTOS
MEANWHILE......
THE CLASS SHOULD NOW RE-GROUP
THE CLASS SHOULD NOW RE-GROUP
STEP 7 — PRESENTING MANIFESTOS
STEP 7
Before we vote in an election we will
have heard about what parties intend
to do in power via candidates canvassing
for our vote door-to-door, online or via
election broadcasts. This information helps
us make a decision about who we might
vote for.
Each party candidate has three minutes
to present their Manifesto Poster
to the class and canvass for votes!
3 MINUTES
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 8 — TIME TO VOTE
3 MINUTES
3 MINUTES
3 MINUTES
STEP 8 — TIME TO VOTE
STEP 8
The Chief Registrar and Polling Officer should take
their seats at a table with the Electoral Register.
The rest of the class, the electorate, will now line
up to vote, remembering to bring their Poll Card
and to vote in privacy!
Each voter must present their Poll Card to
the Chief Registrar who will check them off
the Electoral Register. The Polling Officer will
hand them a Ballot Paper. Meanwhile the
Station Manager will ensure voters queue
in an orderly fashion.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 9 — COUNTING THE VOTE
STEP 9 — COUNTING THE VOTE
STEP 9
The Counting Team now have the responsibility
of emptying the Ballot Box and counting the votes.
The Security Seal is broken and all the papers
are taken out and divided into piles according
to the cross in the box.
Each pile is then counted to get the initial figure
of how many votes each candidate has. Each counter
should take and record a count to ensure accuracy.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 10 — RESULTS
STEP 10 — RESULTS
A final count is verified by the Chief Counter
and the results can be announced in alphabetical order
by the ‘Returning Officer’. We suggest this is your teacher.
The candidate with the largest amount of votes
is the winner!
The winning candidate gets to make an acceptance
speech, usually thanking the electorate and promising
to uphold the manifesto.
What happens if there’s a draw?
Under Electoral Commission guidelines, in the event of a tie between
two candidates, the returning officer must decide between the candidates by
the addition of an extra vote decided by the drawing of lots.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
STEP 10
?
What’s next?
What’s next?
Now that you have completed your election, here are
some questions to consider:
— How did it feel to take part in your election?
— What are your thoughts on the outcome of the vote?
— What activities or further learning could you now do
as a class based on your election experience?
— If any teams undertook research during the session,
why not share your findings with your class?
— When will you be eligible to vote?
Remember, you can register from the age of 16 by post
or online – www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
— Find out more about Parliament and the election
process – www.parliament.uk/education
We hope you enjoyed
running your own election!
Developed by the
Let us know what you think about the kit;
email us on education@parliament.uk
and also send us some photos of the kit
in action!
#electiontoolkit