To think they shouldn't be allowed to harass voters leaving the polling station

[PatPig]

Went to vote earlier. The incumbent councillor was there (he's a twat) with about four others from his party. As each person came out they were asking for polling numbers.

I slipped in behind another woman when I was leaving so I wouldn't be hassled and have to struggle not to tell them to 'fuck off'. The woman said 'NO!' when asked for her polling number, and then they gave some BS excuse why it was needed, and I think she gave it to them.

Anyway, AIBU to think they should fuck right off from crowding the narrow entrance, chugger style, and harassing voters?

It's mostly to call out their own voters - if you've said on the doorstep you'll vote for them, they can cross you off the list when they know you've voted. Then they look at all the people who have pledged support but haven't voted so they can ring on their doorbell later.

They're not supposed to wear rosettes as that can be seen as trying to influence the vote.

Thing is, it's only worth giving them your number if you've previously given a political party the idea that you might consider voting for them and hence are on their list of 'people to harass to get out and vote'.

Having dabbled in this sort of thing before, it appears that any response short of chasing the canvasser off your land with a shotgun gets you put down as a 'possible'

This would bug me.
They seem like they broke rule 2 under the tellers must not.

Surely if you're only giving them your number, they still have no way of knowing if or how you actually voted?

(Or am I missing something?)

I don't think there is any obligation to give them your number. However, some of them come forward as quite official and would like you to believe you do have to give your number but you don't.

YoniMitchell, they're assuming that if you went into the polling station, you actually voted. But they don't need to know who for! They just need to tick you off the list of their supporters, if you're on it. They'll have a database with the code number on your polling card, your name address and phone no., and how they think you intend to vote.

I believe where there are tellers from different parties present, it's considered good form to share the collected voter numbers.

Thanks Boulevard, so in that case I really don't see the problem - if you're on their list of supporters, surely you've already told them of your intention or leaning (so can't really moan about it by then). If they're just assuming you're political leanings, then that's up to them if they're wrong - after all, there's no need to comment or correct them!

Personally I don't see what the issue it - either tell them or don't.

The poll isn't anonymous - your name is marked off the Register when you have voted, and after the election the marked register is released, so they know who voted.

Also, when you are issued with a Ballot Paper, this has a number on it that is not connected to your number on the Register, but they note which paper ballot was given to which person, so they could, in theory, look at it and see how you voted, but they only look at them if there is a query or accusation of cheating or fraud.

If you have a postal ballot, it saves a lot of hassle.

Postal ballot all the way :)

Councillors of any persuasion daren't call down our road as everyone is likely to ask what they would do to help us with x, y, z. And the truth is none of them want to and we're not on any route where it's likely to embarrass the council.

they aren't allowed to harass you, and you don't have to give your name. if you have a problem with the way they were treating you, you should tell one of the officers inside the polling station! they know they are not allowed to harass you, and they are not allowed to make you feel that you have to give your details

(or, if you don't want to go back in, call the elections office - details will be on your poll card, and they will deal with it)

I got asked on the way in and I just said I didn't want to tell them, they said ok and I went my merry way!

I've never come across this in the 3 different polling stations I've been eligible to vote in

Actually thinking about it, who memorises their number to be able to give it on the way out anyway?

I'm with Sokmonsta. Did it by post last week. Sorted-and no speaking to people.

I'm very surprised by the Electoral Commission guidelines, when I worked in elections the law was very clear that tellers could not approach people before they entered the polling station (although in practice this happened all the time and led to constant snarking between parties).

Tellers have absolutely no legal rights and frankly it's a waste of time for everyone concerned.

I always say 'No' and I'm no Tory!
I always tell the Tories that I'm undecided so that they waste their resources on me.

For all the people who can't see what's wrong with them, they often don't take no for an answer and I have experienced them on one occasion literally pretending to be officials and insisting that you have to tell them your number. This was in an area where they will confuse a lot of people who don't have a good understanding of how things work.

The line about them not knocking on your door later is clearly rubbish since they are not going to do that to anyone except someone who has expressed a clear preference in their favour, and those people would be happy to tell them that they've voted. They are trying to predict the result, also to get numbers per polling station that they can use to canvass next time.

Each polling station has a designated number of people using it. Everybody involved knows this. Each party has access to the number of people in each ward who cast a vote at the last election, so that is what they would use the following election. They can't predict a result from the telling slips. They just want to ensure that those saying they would support have done so.

I've gone back into the polling station before and complained before about them...

We had one, and she was from the Labour Party because dh asked her.