Polling station staff
training session
European Parliamentary election,
22 May 2014
Introduction
Local Returning Officer
Electoral Services Manager
Objectives of
the training
session
• Your role is vital in ensuring that voters
have confidence in the election process
• At this session we will:
– outline what we expect you to do on
polling day
– discuss the voting procedures
– think about health and safety issues
– highlight a number of administrative
arrangements
Key aims for
the election
• that all voters have a good experience,
with any person who is entitled to vote
being able to do so
• that the poll is professionally delivered
• that we produce accurate results in which
all stakeholders are confident
• that the process is transparent
• that the poll is consistently administered
It is essential that you…
– act impartially at all times
– comply with any instructions issued by the local Returning
Officer
– ensure the secrecy and security of the ballot
• Liaise with the key-holder of the
building
• Organise the layout of the polling
management of station
the polling
• Instruct and supervise the work of
station
the Poll Clerks
• Account for all the ballot papers,
ballot boxes and paperwork
The Presiding
Officer –
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 the voters
Check that electors are eligible to vote
at that polling station
Understand the process for issuing
ballot papers
Countdown to
polling 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 and suitable for the
weather conditions.
Polling station
inspectors
• A point of contact
• Supplies of stationery and equipment
• Responsible for carrying out polling
station checks
• Contact numbers [ ……………. ]
Risks
•
•
•
•
•
•
Can’t make contact with key-holder
Can’t gain access to the polling station
Staff failing to turn up or being late
Problems displaying notices
Wrong registers allocated to the station
The ballot paper numbers do not match
those pre-printed on the CNL
• Tendered ballot papers wrongly issued
• Queues building up throughout polling
day
• Bad weather, flooding
The Polling Station
Setting up, layout and who can enter the polling station
Setting up the
polling station
• Layout / notices (see set-up checklist in Appendix
12 of the Polling station handbook)
–
–
–
–
–
must work for the voter
walk route voter expected to follow
check all notices up and pencils ready and sharp
properly accessible to voters
consider needs of wheelchair users (e.g. doors,
space to manoeuvre, vote in secret)
– provide seats for electors who may need to rest
– voting in secret (booths not overlooked by windows)
• Prepare the stationery
– arrange the ballot papers in numerical order
– prepare register and corresponding number list
– keep tendered ballot papers in packet
Setting up the
polling station
(cont)
• Polling agents, tellers and others
– consider where polling agents, tellers, other
supporters/campaigners can / can’t be
• Location of ballot box(es)
– accessible and secure
• Sealing the box(es)
– show box is empty
– seal as advised just before 7am
– don’t allow candidates / agents to add seal at this
time
Polling station
layout
Polling station
layout
Who can enter
the polling
station?
– Voters
– Regional Returning Officer, local Returning
Officer and staff
– Candidates and election agents
– Polling agents
– Police officers and community support officers
on duty at the polling station
– Representatives of the Electoral Commission
– Accredited observers
– Under 18s accompanying voters
– Companions of voters with disabilities
Accredited
observers and
Commission
representatives
Customer care • Show a personal interest
• Be helpful and approachable
• Listen and empathise with them
• Allow them to put their point across before
responding
• Don’t say ‘No’, tell them what you can do
for them and what they can do
• But the election rules must be followed at
all times, no matter how insistent, upset or
angry they are
• If in doubt, contact the elections office
Customer care • Ensure that the voting process is
accessible to all:
(cont’d)
– layout must work for all voters,
including wheelchair users
– stationery provided in alternative
languages and formats should be
clearly visible
– you must be able to provide
information to disabled electors on
options for voting
Tactile voting • Tactile template needs to be clearly visible
and you should be confident in using it
template
• How to use - make sure that the template is
securely attached to the ballot paper and
that the voter is confident about using it. The
voter should:
- lift the selected window in the voting choice column
- mark their choice of candidate or party with a cross (X)
- close the window
- separate the template from the ballot paper
- fold and place the ballot paper in the ballot box
- return the template to the Presiding Officer
Who can and cannot
vote?
Using the electoral register and corresponding number list
Who is
eligible to vote
at the polling
station in the
European
Parliamentary
election?
• 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’ before their name
• Electors with a ‘K’ before their name
• Electors with an ‘L’ before their name
• Electors with an ‘E’ before their name
• Electors who have registered
anonymously who have an ‘N’ instead of a
name
• [In Scotland only] Electors with a ‘U’
before their name
•
Who cannot
vote at the
polling station
•
in the European
Parliamentary •
election?
Electors with date of birth on register
which shows they are not 18 years of age
on polling day
Electors with a ‘G’ before their name
Electors with an ‘A’ before their name
• Marking the register and the CNL
Issuing the
– Ask the elector to confirm their name and
ballot papers
address
– Mark electors’ elector number in the register
– Call out the name and elector number of the
elector
– Enter the elector number on the
Corresponding Number List (CNL)
– Do NOT write the elector number on the
ballot paper!
Issuing the
ballot papers
(cont)
• Ballot papers
– Open up fully so the whole paper is visible
– Official mark, Ballot paper number and
unique Identifying Mark (UIM)
Marking
the register
Queen’s
Walk
BC
JP32 4LT
411 G
412 F
413 K
414
415
416
417
418 A
418/1
Vella, Eva
Jolly, Simon
Vella, Christina
Brown, Robert
Evans, Gareth
Singh, Parvinder
Millar, Beth
Juba, Charlotte
22 May 2014 Watts, Judith
1
1
1
3
5
7
7
15
15
Example
Corresponding
Number List
(CNL)
BC 27/1
Exceptions to
the rule
• Anonymous electors
–
–
–
–
Must have poll card
Marked ‘N’ on register
Name and address must not be called out
Mark the register by their poll number as
usual
• Other electors
– At end of register (end of split station)
• Clerical errors
– On separate register sheet
• Always check if cant find on register
Example
reverse of
ballot paper
• Some electors may need to have the voting
Marking the process explained to them:
ballot paper
– Voters have one vote. They can vote for a party
(and its list of candidates) or for an individual
candidate and should place a cross in the blank
box next to the party or individual candidate
they wish to vote for.
What
happens if…?
• you are handed a certificate of employment
• a voter spoils a 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
The
prescribed
questions
• The prescribed questions must be asked:
– when a candidate, an election agent (or subagent attending on the election agent’s behalf)
or polling agent requests them
– before issuing a tendered ballot paper
• The prescribed questions should be asked:
– when you suspect personation
– when a registered elector is clearly under
age
– when an elector states their name is not
as shown in the register of electors
• No other enquiry or questioning of
electors is allowed
Postal votes
• voters can hand in their postal votes at
any polling station in the counting area
(local authority area)
• returned postal ballot packs must be
stored, sealed and labelled as instructed
• postal votes will be collected during the
day, with the remainder returned with the
ballot box at close of poll
Postal votes
• ‘A’ markers cannot be given an ordinary
ballot paper at the polling station:
– direct to local Returning Officer for
replacement (before 5pm)
– tendered ballot paper procedure after 5pm
• exception: where an elector claims never to
have applied for a postal vote. In such a case,
they would be eligible for a tendered ballot
paper at any time. However these electors
should be encouraged to apply for a
replacement at the elections office if before
5pm.
Close of Poll
The procedures to be followed
Managing a • At any point in the day – call the
election office
queue
• Just before 10pm
– make sure those waiting can cast their
vote
– check that anyone waiting to vote is at
the correct polling station for their
address
Managing a • At 10pm:
– bring all the waiting electors into the
queue (2)
room/building and close the door, OR
– if the room/building is not big enough,
a member of the team should stand at
the end of the queue to mark it
– continue to issue ballot papers until
everyone who was in the queue by
10pm has voted
• Anyone who was not in the queue at
10pm must NOT be issued with a
ballot paper.
Close of poll
• Once the last voter has voted, seal the
ballot box
• Candidates/agents are also entitled to
affix seals to the ballot box at this point
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 these
with the ballot box(es)
• Ensure all documents placed in correct
packets and signed as appropriate
• Poll clerks to assist packing up station to
allow presiding officer to do these
important tasks
Health and
safety
• never put the safety of anyone inside the
polling station at risk
• be aware of 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
Any questions?
Additional
Information
• Election team contacts
• Electoral Commission website
– www.electoralcommission.org.uk
– www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
• Feedback Sheets