AIBU to ask you to please ONLY fold your voting paper in half!

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

I am counting tonight, and whilst I get paid more the long the count goes on, it is so annoying when people have folded their votes into 4 or 8 or made a swan out of it before posting it in the ballot box.

Please please, just a simple fold in half - one crease- there is absolutely no need to do any more folds than this!!!

I specifically did not fold more than once because of this thread and then I was spoken to like an imbecile for not doing so by the bloke sitting by the box. Cheers for that OP

How do you get to count? I would love to do that because I'm nosey and want to know sorry if this was asked somewhere else in the thread

Hate to tell you OP but I was handed my slip already folded into four. Probably as if it was folded in half, it wouldn't have fitted into the ballot box.

It was really irritating as it was haphazard and overlapping as well. Made my teeth itch

Where I work (not live) most counters and poll clerks are recruited from existing council staff. We have to apply like any other role - there is a JD and you have to fit the criteria..we have to take leave from our day job and then get paid according to the level of responsibility one has. I've always wanted to be a counter but they're super strict on those

Thank you for counting the votes. It is a v important job.

The man who handed me my ballot had already folded it twice before giving it to me. He's clearly not on MN

You had me worried here. I couldn't remember how I folded it and then I thought you were going to say that my vote didn't count.

Please can you make sure you count them properly and then count again?!

Although saying that - I am sure it will be a fix anyway!

I folded twice because the women were eyeing my paper.

< googling "swan origami tutorials" right now >

....I won't OP, I promise. I've thought about applying to be a counter, as it sounds like quite an exciting way to spend an election night, if you are a policy nerd and are going to be awake anyway. Do you enjoy it?

I was told to fold mine twice otherwise it wouldn't fit.

Op good luck tonight and will be thinking of you while I'm watching the results

!!! I couldn't get it into the hole without folding it twice and the man said you've got a small hole love !!!

Mine was handed to me unfolded before 7.30am (I voted early) and I folded it once to get it into the box. I can't remember if I could have got it in without any folding. I suppose msot of us do one fold just in case anyone might otherwise see the paper during the time between putting the cross on and taking it to the box.

I had to fold it twice to make it fit!

Ours don't fit in the box without folding them at least once. First result due in at 6am tomorrow the news says

Hi op can I ask why we used pencils to mark the vote. I didn't really give it much thought then a friend mentioned it

Just voted and the lady behind the desk asked me to fold it twice as it didn't fit into the slot..... Sorry!

Erm... Sounds like those ballot boxes need larger holes!

I think the pencil thing is because they don't run out like pens do, and its easier to sharpen a pencil than carry loads of spare pens. That's what they told me when I was a poll clerk a million years ago anyway

Mine was pre-folded in half and a poster up saying to fold in half.

I normally fold once but was told specifically today to fold twice, maybe they don't like the person doing the count 😉

My person folded my ballet before he gave it to me. I did think about defying him but thought of this thread!

Thanku 42. I'm obviously having a very boring day to be posting about pencils !

They were preflight ours today but the folding lady forgot to do mine as she was flummoxed by Dh and I not being together on the voting list. There are six names between us and apparently that's plain weird.

I folded in half anyway

I actually asked the women at the polling station how many times I should fold it just in case I got it wrong and somehow invalidated my vote! No anxiety issues at all here....