So those people sitting outside the Polling station...

No, I'm not expecting them to provide regular social care services - although it would be nice if these were fully available as required, thanks to their actions in power.

It sounds like you are one of those rare political party people who DO care and treat it as a duty to serve, rather than just as power and/or an income; but an awful lot don't seem to view it that way.

Maybe it's because we're in a safe seat - our outgoing MP was a member of the cabinet and has still been replaced by another (parachuted in) for the same party - but we never get any correspondence or public presence suggesting that the MP or their party is interested in us at all.

It sounds like you want political parties to be operating as some kind of social care service?

Speaking for myself here but I am helping people in my community between elections, but via organisations that are actually set up to perform that function.

Doorknocking is held regularly throughout the parliamentary cycle to listen to issues constituents are raising and feed that back to the local party / MP. Obviously not with the same kind of intensity that happens during elections, but it’s still part of the day-to-day work.

A big part of the reason I joined a political party and am active in local campaigning is because the state is failing to deliver social care and welfare services, leaving people high and dry and volunteers trying to patch over the cracks. I’m only too aware of the problems, I want to try to get the right people elected who can solve them!

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Yes.

I think that applies to a lot of people, but this time round I was grateful that not having my poll number ticked off their list didn’t generate a visit. I was far too busy sleeping.

A couple of lovely friends offered to do any shopping I needed & I was never so bad that I couldn’t stick a bowl of soup in the microwave, so they wouldn’t have been able to help much.

I agree though that it would be good if they paid a bit more attention to people who do need help.

Yes, I think this is the rub. They have no interest at all in getting in touch to see if you need help in all of the years between elections.

If you're ill, disabled, elderly, vulnerable - not bothered in the least. When they want your vote, though, they care deeply about your welfare or circumstances that may prevent that - just for that one single day, mind.

It's like the politician equivalent of never bothering to visit your elderly parents, never phoning, never helping, never asking how they're doing... but being round there like a shot as soon as they've gone and there may be an inheritance to be had.

I couldn’t vote this year because I was in bed with Covid. Total silence from all the parties though so ‘Give us your number or we’ll knock on your door’ would have been an empty threat.

@Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService

Personally, I think that, as long as people who need a lift/assistance to vote know how to ask for it if they want to, the democratic and honourable thing to do is to allow those who clearly don't really want to participate to be free of hassle and pressure to do so. True free democracy includes the right to choose to abstain. The country was wall-to-wall non-stop election coverage - it's not like anybody didn't know it was election day

Where would you draw the line with that though? No adverts, no stunts, no battle buses, no celebrity endorsements…just give people plain printed copies of the party manifestos and let them make up their own mind?

I think the evidence suggests that canvassing and “get out the vote” activity does make a difference. I think it can particularly help reach people who are disconnected from politics (and often they are the ones whose lives are most buffeted by political decisions). I spoke to people on polling day who didn’t realise it was happening today or didn’t understand what the election was for (“are we voting for the prime minister?”). People might have an idea what’s happening nationally but no idea of the local picture (in a two way marginal, convincing people to who are wavering e.g. LD/Lab but really wanted the Tories out that there’s only one sensible way to vote can make a lot of difference).

You do obviously get a few people grumbling about being disturbed at home but I think I hear more grumbling that “no-ones every bothered to knock at my door before” - I think it helps people feel like their vote is important.

I found that I never had time to look at people's names - once I had the number and was jotting it down, they had gone inside.

There is an argument, though, that people who aren't really bothered one way or the other - and who, left to their own devices, would choose not to use their vote - are just needlessly diluting the vote of those who do care very much.

Maybe it's a bit like when tiny children get excited about their crayons and insist that mummy or daddy must tell them which their 'favourite' is - you just pick one at random and say any old thing to humour them, but you don't actually have any preference or care at all.

How do you know that people whom you have down as 'supporters' - but who have nevertheless not been staunch enough in their support to actually bother to go and show it at the ballot box, nor to request a lift there if needed - do go ahead and vote the way you hoped?

What if they were quite happy, thank you very much, not taking part - but when you turn up and hassle them, they just go to get you off their backs and deliberately spoil their ballot or even vote for your rival as a sign of their annoyance?

Personally, I think that, as long as people who need a lift/assistance to vote know how to ask for it if they want to, the democratic and honourable thing to do is to allow those who clearly don't really want to participate to be free of hassle and pressure to do so. True free democracy includes the right to choose to abstain. The country was wall-to-wall non-stop election coverage - it's not like anybody didn't know it was election day.

The presiding officer asked for my name but whether or not the party I was telling for had actually passed on my name in advance, or whether or not he was just making conversation I’m not sure.

I’m not sure what nefarious use you could put people’s polling card numbers to though, really. Obviously it’s personal data that should be appropriately managed but unless you’re a political party (who are legally entitled to ask for it) I don’t know who else could really gain much from it.

You are mostly meant to sit outside, but if it's raining or blowing a howling gale sometimes the Presiding Officer take pity on you and lets you sit inside, like in the porch. But you aren't allowed in the room/hall where the vote is taking place.

Ah that's interesting. It was a church hall with an enclosed porch and they were inside the porch so obviously pushing their luck.

I was interested in the discussion by @cangar and @Shortfatsuit - about GDPR as I was also slightly uneasy about it. I don’t think people often have any idea that when they have a doorstep chat with a canvasser that this information about you political allegiance is then stored by the party, potentially for years, and is then accessible to any number of party volunteers.

As far as I can gather political parties fall under a special section of the Act and don’t need to rely on consent - whereas if a charity or other organisation was doing the same thing they would need to have consent.

It all seems strangely casual in contrast to the hoops you’d need to jump through to do same kind of data gathering if you you weren’t a political party.

They do contact people before! Then on the day they follow up - if they have gathered good data they will have an idea of who might need help getting to the polling station, who wasn’t that committed to voting and might need a nudge.

As someone who always votes it always amazes me how many people are just not that fussed about it, but they be persuaded if someone actually engages with them. Given how low turnout is there’s lots of scope to win elections by convincing uncommitted voters to vote!

Exactly the same situation for me as a teller. I didn't ask anyone who didn't have their polling card in their hand already, I think it's quite an awkward job really! I did 60 in an hour 7am-8am so hopefully saved quite a few knocks off the later rounds.

I don't like canvassing but I do enjoy getting the vote out. Where I live we canvass the whole constituency throughout the year on a rota basis so people are used to seeing members out and about and at events etc. we get good results and are really visible so people don't seem to mind it so much over election time

It just strikes me that absolutely anybody could potentially pitch up in a smart suit and stand outside the polling station, asking to see people's cards - for any reason at all, be it nosey, over-enthusiastic or criminal. It's so extremely open to abuse.

Then, people who don't know what a teller is will assume that they are electoral officials enabling the voting process; and people who do know what tellers are will just assume that they have permission to be there and ask voters for their personal details.

But you've said it yourself: you complied because otherwise they might hassle you by canvasing you.

Where's your own agency in your preferred voting experience? Do you get a say in it at all?!

Wow that’s a whole other thing isn’t it, you have only a split second to actually get people to read out the number to you, like a 4 digit code, wouldn’t have time for a whole name and address, too many people you’re trying to capture before they leave but yes I guess there could have been dishonest ones out there but the tellers are on shifts and we would notice if there was 2 of us for each party at one location, well, you’d hope! I hope there wasn’t any wrong doing anywhere.

I was a teller yesterday - first time I’ve done it and as I’ve never lived in a marginal seat before I’ve never even encountered one.

I was given some printed guidance and a short training video to watch but it’s fairly basic, and I imagine there’s quite a variation in how people approach the task- while most of the local party activists are very nice you always get the odd one and there’s no-one checking on you - anyone could sign-up online to do it.

I get the concern about looking official and people assuming that you have to give you information. Though I found that people want to get on with their day, not have a lengthy explanation.

My approach ended up being to say something like “would you mind if I took your polling card number?” then while they were getting it out I’d say “it’s just so we know who has voted, it’ll save you from having us knocking on you door later”. I had big fat rosette on so I thought it was fairly clear I was representing a political party. Most people were entirely relaxed about giving it to me, anyone who looked at all wary I was explained it was entirely up to them, and that we knock on doors to encourage people to come out to vote. In general the people who refused didn’t look like they supported my party, rather than having an issue with giving their details.

Interestingly people were very willing to give me their polling card numbers, but if they didn’t have their polling card we had to ask for name and address which people were much more suspicious about - though I don’t think I had anyone who refused to give me it once they understood the purpose. I don’t think people fully appreciated that their polling card number is just as identifying as their name and address.

Sounds fair enough to me... but isn't your name and address printed on the card - so they'd easily be able to see that too if they wanted to look?

In fact, this might be a stretch, but in theory, somebody could pose as a teller and then, when they see two adults with cards showing the same address, message their mate to dash around there and see what easy pickings you may have to nick.

This happened to me .I was quite happy to give my polling card number. No questions about who I was voting for. Just to stop any canvassing later yesterday. Not sure what the problem is TBH !

I have never ever had a teller say anything to me other than "Can I see your polling card?",

and as PP says which will be interpreted by very many people - especially young/first-time voters - as "I am an official steward and I NEED to see your card" - they are the ones whom I find devious and dishonest.

I have never in my life attending local or general elections had a teller make clear what they are doing or that they are affiliated with a party and want to check whether supporters have voted.

This is over years and across 5 different constituencies

Where I used to live there were these people literally blocking the door into the polling station. What annoyed me was that they posed as officials (no party rosettes). so they would ask voters going in to see their polling card and ask for their name. Most people going in complied because they thought they were election officials. They were in fact local tories. I complained to the local electoral office because they were misrepresenting themselves, but I moved soon after so don't know if they still do it.

Yes I agree that’s terrible! I’m the bubbly friendly type of person that laughed with people and said It was absolutely fine not a worry, and I explained to everyone it was just a thing they like to do. I must admit, I had been on the other end of a teller before and thought it rude to ask me.. I now understand what it’s for but still, you need to explain and not be rude and pushy when you are asking for someone’s code, I didn’t ask for names and addresses either, that’s a bit much isn’t it. I can totally understand why people don’t want to do it, just thought I’d reassure people it wasn’t for anything other than these reasons 😊

Thanks - fair enough; although I still don't see why actual official representatives of candidates/parties should be deliberately creating work for the officials, whom you would expect to be primarily there to assist/control the general public.

In that case, you have my full respect.

An awful lot of tellers will just say "Can I see your polling card?", which will be interpreted by very many people - especially young/first-time voters - as "I am an official steward and I NEED to see your card" - they are the ones whom I find devious and dishonest.