Polling Staff

[Allthegoodonesareg0ne]

So we are back again on July 4th!
Was wondering what kind of conditions you've had to put up with at Polling stations?!
Last elections I was in a tin box in the middle of a field with a portaloo outside. Only reachable by foot, no handwashing facilities or fridge. Was freezing and chucking it down so got soaked every comfort break but at least the milk didn't go off!
Lovely voters though and presiding officer was great to work with so could be worse!

I've just sent in an expression of interest to my local council to be a Poll Clerk for the GE - really hoping I get a chance to be involved! Realised during the local elections how much I'd wanted to try this at least one.

Hope you hear from them!

I counted the last GE and the agents were really standing over us; I'm sure it'll be worse this time.

For strange markings etc, we go by 'voter intent' as per the electoral commission and legislation. I reckon that person above must've thought they were spoiling the ballot paper but since they only marked that box it had to be taken as a vote?

I did it for the first time at the local elections in May. Took annual leave off work I have the spare days. We did it in the back of a big library that stayed open. So was buzzie. Good facilities too I really enjoyed it but was a long day but everyone was very pleasant to you and found it fairly easy although people did expect me to know when they said there house was in that road behind here 😁. Would do it again so was gutted when he called the election for the 4th July I'm on holiday. The last one went towards spends for my holiday.

If my DC need me then I bloody well will be leaving!

Then probably not the role for you.

Yes, I don't think the returning officer would be terribly amused if staff upped sticks and walked out because DC bloody well needed mummy or daddy! 😂

This is such a lovely & interesting thread 😊 thank you for all the behind the scenes information

My mum used to do it and loved it. Her and her friend did it and had a ball.
DD has just sent off her expression of interest, so thanks for the heads up!

@Georgieporgie29

Just to be clear, you need to take it all enveloped up the same way as you would if you were posting it - not just take the ballot paper along.

Sorry if that's obvious!

I think too in a GE you can take it to any within that whole constituency, not just 'your' polling station, but you'd need to double check that.

Yes any station in the constituency for a postal vote but you have to take 'all the bits' we can't give you anything else, and you have to fill in a form, but it's pretty quick to do!

My parents did each others once, I didn’t know it would have been picked up. Eould 5hose votes be discounted then? In this case they voted for different candidates so the6 cancelled each other out anyway.

The postal votes are rejected without even opening the ballot paper envelope if the signature and date of both are wrong - so yes your parents would have been rejected

They didn’t think anyone would realise.

Why would you offer to do the job if you um, aren't capable of doing the job?

My Dad was a PO for years, can remember being tasked with fetching him his lunch and dinner on a plate down to my primary school. I wish I'd had a crack at it when I had the chance but now I cannot do such long hours.

DH has been in schools for the last two. He's said he'll be presiding officer this time if needed but if an even longer day. The count is overnight here so you can't do both.

Local community centre, with decent kitchen facilities and heating so can’t complain. Used as a dual polling station so 4 poll clerks and 2 presiding officers. Last time one of the presiding officers got her DH to fetch us all fish and chips for tea.
The voters are mostly lovely aswell. Have told elections team I’m available on 4th July, it feels exciting being part of it all.
I’ve not done the count before but some of my fellow poll clerks have and have told me of the interesting things they have seen on spoilt ballot papers

Church hall the first time, Sheesh it was cold. School hall after that. Those last couple of hours were tiring.

I’ve done it for a few years now. My first time was at a university and we were jammed in between the refectory and the bar. The pool table was right behind us and we had to duck when the students had to take a shot on our side of the table!

The uni polling station has since been merged with another one so in effect we have two polling stations in one room in the town hall. A bit chaotic as we have to ensure that the voters put their votes in the correct ballot boxes. This can be tricky at busy times. I was Presiding Officer for the first time at the Police and Crime Commissioner election the other week. Less than 50 voters all day but we’ll have a lot more for a general election. Only one person forgot their id but they only lived up the road and popped back a few minutes later.

Ours is in a nice new community/sports centre, and for the last few elections they've been in the dance hall that has some natural light, instead of shut inside an internal room for 16 hours, which must be a relief.

The main thing that would put me off now (other than the fact I have a meeting in the diary on the 4th already) is the ID checking. During the locals the team were dealing with a query with someone who had brought an immigration document of some kind. It was all resolved satisfactorily but it looked very stressful for both the staff and the voter.

Some of these places don't sound very wheelchair accessible, but I'm assuming they all are?

I've not done the polling station but the local count is in a giant marquee with portaloos outside. I'm rather glad the election has been called now and not in the middle of winter, especially with it being an overnight count. It was cold enough in the local elections and you got wet through walking to the loos.

I counted at the recent PCC elections in the. hope that's enough experience to count at the GE! There was lots of people at the count that had been PO the day before but not sure how that would work for an over night count. I'm going to volunteer for postal vote counting too.

Was there a box on your documentation to tick to say you did or did not want to be considered for the GE count? Usually once you're in, they would much rather have people who are already on the books than have to recruit more. Six weeks isn't long to get new people.

Is the postal vote count along side the poll station count or separate.

I have offered to do the count but not sure I can be specific on area, especially on my first year! I have only done poll clerk before.

It comes to the tables as a 'postal vote box' (can be more than one) the same as a box would come from each constituency