Tomorrow I’ll be a Presiding Officer in a polling station. AMA

[Tygertiger]

This may not be the most thrilling AMA in the world, but if there is anything you’ve always wondered about the voting process, go ahead!

"Photography isn’t allowed in polling stations so I would say no."

But nothing happens when people do 🤣

You're breaking the law by not having up to date address details on your driving licence and could risk a fine of up to £1000.

Please get it updated asap, so you don't get hammered with a fine!

www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence#:~:text=You%20can%20be%20fined%20up,available%20in%20Welsh%20(Cymraeg).

Essentially it’s running the polling station, making sure everyone can vote who is entitled to do so and ensuring the process is fair, secret and follows all the rules. Then being responsible for ensuring the ballot papers reach the counting HQ safely. I had to do a training session which was very comprehensive and there’s also a huge handbook to refer to, plus the inspector is on hand throughout the day.

The address should be on your local council website with a postcode.

Beyond my remit I’m afraid - the only postal votes I’ll handle will be ones people bring to hand in because they didn’t post them.

What a stupid bloody question.

It’s not odd to bin it - it’s just a piece of thin cardboard cluttering up my kitchen if I keep it.
Voting has always been a quick process. I enter the building and give my name & address (and now I show ID) and the official gives me my voting slip. Showing a piece of cardboard will just take longer

Another PO here. I’m dreading it as I’m tired from work anyway and it is SUCH a long day.

I do it because, I believe in democracy and want people to be able to vote but it makes me laugh when people think it’s well paid. When you break it down by hr it is NOT well paid, esp the responsibility we have.

I think this is my 6th or 7th time.

I have been a counter many times and am now a table supervisor.
So what happens is
At 10pm the polls close the PO does the end of poll paperwork and this will include the ballot paper account. This states how many ballot paper have been issued.
They seal the lid of the box and take it with the paperwork to the count.
The returning officer and the team will log the box coming back, check the paperwork and make a record of the expected number of ballot papers in each box.
The boxes will be labelled with a serial number and location.
Once all boxes are returned and records updated the count will start.

There will be a number of counting tables set up.
There is a team on each table with a supervisor.
Each table will have a set of boxes allocated to them.
First each box has to be balanced back to the ballot paper account ( or multiple boxes if a polling station was very busy)
The seals are cut off the box and its opened on the middle of the table, checking that there are no paper left inside.
The counters then start counting the papers to get the total number.
Papers should be unfolded and placed face up in bundles on 25, which then are paper clipped together.
Bundles of 100 are then created.
The table supervisor then checks and counts bundles to get to the total for the box, which they then verify with the returning officer to the ballot paper account for the box.

Hopefully it agrees. If it doesnt the bundles are rechecked, usually there is a 26 or 24 bundle or a paper incorrectly unfolded but sometimes there is an error on the ballot paper account from the polling station so they will have to go back to the original records.
Once the table has done the box they put the bundles in to a crate and do the next box until all of their boxes are done.
Once all the tables are done the Returning officer gives permission to start the counting for the candidates.
We have a series of wire baskets in the middle of the table, one for each candidate.
Each bundle is then opened back up and paper allocated to each basket.
Once there are a number of papers in the basket some of the team start counting, going back to the 25s.
Spoiled papers are pulled out at that stage, and passed to RO for review.
Once all the papers are sorted and bundled we then get an overall count and hopefully get back to the number of papers in the boxes originally.
Each table submits totals to the RO who collates them and comes to the final figure.
If close you can get a recount but I have never had that personally. But it would involve checking each candidates bundles and the spoiled papers.

For the London mayor elections I took my 8 year old with me and let him come in the booth and post the vote in the box (it was very quiet). The lady there said that it was OK but not strictly allowed. What are the rules around children in polling stations?

I cannot think exactly but it’s £340 ish. Up at 0520, load the car (kit must stay locked in our houses until then - we collect it a day or two before and are paid for that time & milage too).

We must be at the polling station by 0620 to set it up. Open at 7, close at 2200, pack down, drive to the count, queue (100+ cars in my queue), then you are carjacked for contents of your car (it is mega efficient) and home. If you pack your car wrong you are sent to query and can be there hours.

Usually for me it is a 19 hr day for waking to getting in bed. £17 per hr.

There are rules on who can come in to the polling station and children are allowed. Obviously they need to behave and respect the secrecy of the process.

Sorry, I know that children are allowed to come in- it would not be appropriate deter people without childcare from voting. What I mean was can kids come in the booth, even mark the vote, post it etc?

Children are allowed to accompany you but the actual voting process must be done by the voter, or their proxy, or in the case of a disabled voter their assistant. So no, you need to vote and post your ballot paper yourself.

i Got married in the last year or so and my ID is in my married name, but my voting card is in my maiden name. If I take my passport and marriage licence, will that be enough? @Tygertiger
thank you

@unsync I am a polling clerk at a local village not working for the council We may be volunteers but we still get paid- I am paid nearly £300 as polling clerk plus mileage. I think the presiding officer gets over £400 for a lot of extra responsibility.

A long day but at the pcc elections in May a lot of time to read a book - not expecting so much time at a general election

A lot of people have postal votes nowadays so this does cut down the number of voters visiting polling station.

Presumably you are not allowed to work in your own polling station.

Do you get time off to go and cast your own vote, or do you have to do a postal one?

It should be. If in doubt ring the electoral services office in your area and they can clarify for you.

You have to do a postal vote

@TimeandMotion You have to use a postal vote if working at an election. We are not allowed to leave the polling station for any reason so have to bring all our food with us!

Yes it will be fine. The ID check is simply a likeness. So if your, let’s say expired battered passport is for Jane Smith and you turn up and are Jane Jones and you look like that photo, you can vote.

Same with a DL. We don’t care about the address. The Photo is all that matters.

The voter ID you use needs to have the name which matches the electoral register but you can take your marriage certificate to verify it, yes.

Postal or emergency vote by proxy on grounds of work.

When you collect your voting paper what's the process for ticking you off etc? Does your voter number get recorded on the voting paper?

Will you be able to turn away prospective Reform voters by saying that their photo ID isn’t sufficient? That’s what I would do if I worked at a polling station!