WELCOME
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WELCOME
TO
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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.
We hope that the toolkit will demystify the election process and
encourage students to consider our democratic rights in the UK.
It’s a handy all-in-one kit to help you
run your own election. It includes most
of the props you will need.
This PowerPoint presentation has been created as a basic guide
to take you through the process. 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.
Downloadable versions of all documents
are available online. Please visit
parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
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.
The toolkit is designed to be intuitive and experiential; flexible in
use and reusable. A brief user manual is also included in the kit.
Email us with your feedback on education@parliament.uk
Now get started!
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
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
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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 all of the props 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
In your Ballot Box you’ll find:
—Stickers to brand your box
—Security Seals
—Ballot Papers
—Electoral Registers
—Poll Cards
—Poll Station Sign
—Officials’ Lanyards
—Team stickers
—Rosettes for party leaders
—Pin Badges for members
—Manifesto Posters
—Policy Cards and
—a Stamp to make all of your
paperwork official!
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.
Before you start, in the toolkit you will find
an Electoral Register. Pass the register round
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 now work in Party teams and Polling Station
teams to work towards 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 their lanyard 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 collect their rosettes,
badges and spare stickers
if needed and will create their
manifestos using the Policy Cards
provided.
Polling Station teams will collect
their Lanyards with instructions and
team member stickers, then 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 ensure that the party candidates are wearing
their Rosette and the team members are wearing their
Badges or Stickers!
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.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
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.
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 are setting-up an
election in the space provided.
Just in case; team instructions are on the back
of the Officials’ lanyards and an overview
of tasks can be found on the next slide too.
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.
—Stamp each Poll Card when
complete to confirm
it is ‘official’.
— Complete the information
panels on each side
of the box.
—Distribute Poll Cards
to the electorate.
—At election, the Registrar will
sign off voters as they arrive using
Electoral Register.
www.parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
— Prepare the Ballot Box
by applying the four Party
Stickers.
— At election, the Polling Officer
will hand out Ballot Papers.
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.
—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 3 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 Counters
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!