So those people sitting outside the Polling station...

[ciderhouserules]

What are they doing? There was one today (festooned in Yellow rosettes and ribbons) who asked me for my Polling card. I asked why and he said 'just to record that you've turned up'. I just walked away.

The fact that I've voted is recorded by the Polling clerk inside the Polling station, who crosses off my Name and Polling number on the list.

So what do the people sitting outside record from me?

I once reported a teller
for voter intimidation (he was a CON teller for balance - this was a previous election). He was telling people they needed their polling card to vote in the polling station and intimidating the woman who arrived at the same time I did to the point she left before going in. He had just tried the same tactic with me.
Anyway, he was quickly "reassigned" by the local party apparently due to complaints - i wasn't the only one to report him.

They should be outside. They’re allowed to go in to vote themselves or for things like assisting a disabled voter, but they’re not allowed to stand inside to ask questions.

My husband is doing that for the LibDems today, and I did briefly too. Just took polling card numbers rather than names and addresses to later ascertain who hasn't yet voted..it's a fairly close run thing between long standing Tories and LibDems in our area so it is worth doing.

To be honest, they issue the polling cards - possibly mainly as an official notification that there is an election and you get a vote in it - and say that it's easier if you can take them with you; but today, I was glad that I left mine at home, and would deliberately do the same in future.

That way, there's no chance of a teller stealing a glance at it, or even asking for one and making me look like the unreasonable one for declining - or getting dirty looks or remarks from others in the queue who assume that they are official electoral stewards and I am being stupidly obstructive.

Just one way of making politics more transparent and work better for all the people, eh?

I’ve just read that they are allowed to ask if you have your Voter ID and I really disagree with that. They shouldn’t have been allowed that - that makes them sound somewhat official.

That makes perfect sense. I've always lived in places that have changed hands or been very close which is why I assumed that they were at every polling station in the country. You learn something new every day!!!

I think there should be a notice that states that the people standing outside the polling station are not part of the official voting process.

For years, I had assumed they were and on one occasion we had one of them on the doorstep, in the evening, asking whether my husband (who had chosen not to vote on that occasion) would like a lift to the polling station - which was funny as we live directly opposite the venue.

Now, when accosted by them, I no longer give them any details. I observed one of them, today, speaking quite aggressively to a member of the public who had evidently challenged them about this practice.

To you and @ArabellaScott - my school was a former secondary modern turned comprehensive in a primarily unemployed former coal town. Of 193 A-level exams taken only 2 scored A grades (and neither was me).

My children’s school is a bog standard high school in a city.

“Shit school” meaning blazingly incompetent not to tell students the basics, rather meaning than a private or privileged school.

I don’t have a degree, I’m not more bright than average and the only privilege I’m assuming is an ability to read English fluently and not have a learning disability preventing understanding of things set out in the Explainer sections of the BBC (or other news outlets). Which are written to be accessible to most.

I don’t know whether that makes me one of the great unwashed or not, maybe Arabella could check.

Tellers have been part of U.K. elections as long as we’ve had them. It’s hardly arcane or a scam.

I wasn't necessarily saying that you were super intelligent or went to the best school, btw.

The thing is that, even if everybody had walked the same paths of knowledge and experience as you and knew what a teller is - bearing in mind that many people who have lived in safe seats for decades may never have encountered them before - these people don't wear anything (other than a potentially ambiguous small rosette) to clearly indicate that that is what they are.

Yet again, if they were proud of what they were doing, they would want to wear a big badge/t-shirt/sash and/or introduce themselves to you... but they don't.

And, for the record, just because something has been around for a long time is no indication whatsoever that it can't be a scam or other underhand tactic.

Haven't seen any for years. Round here they usually just knock the door to see if you have been to vote/yet. Haven't had one today though (guess there's still time)

This. By this stage of the game all they want to do is make sure their own supporters have voted.

The person sitting outside our polling station was a beggar.
Pretty stark reminder of what the Tories have achieved over the last 14 years.

Yet again, if they were proud of what they were doing, they would want to wear a big badge/t-shirt/sash and/or introduce themselves to you... but they don't

But why? They aren’t doing anything untoward, they aren’t doing anything underhanded, they ARE normally wearing a rosette or badge (nothing ambiguous about a rosette during an election).

They don’t need to be “proud”, they are doing a pretty dull admin task in support of their candidate, as they are legally entitled to do. And as a PP commented, they tend to be older and politically active so they assume their role is no surprise to anyone. What with it happening in swing seats for as long as there have been swing seats, and all.

As anyone who has canvassed the public for any reason knows (I’ve done it but not for political groups) you have maybe 2 seconds max to nab someone as they pass to ask them anything. Introducing themselves and explaining their role means they aren’t going to have time to do their role.

No one is obliged to answer them. Most people don’t. They aren’t pressuring people, they aren’t selling anything or campaigning, they are asking for a polling card number. Tell them or don’t tell them.

Again, if you are the proud local candidate for X party for Y town - or their trusted representative - and you genuinely believe that you are doing a valuable job for the local community, enabling folk to engage more easily with the democratic process and arranging lifts for those who need them... why would you NOT want to introduce yourself as such, or at least have a prominent badge with your name and party on it?

It’s because you’re not allowed to actively campaign within a certain distance of a polling station on election day. 50 metres? 100? can’t remember. But that’s why the rosettes are blank.

I think there should be a notice that states that the people standing outside the polling station are not part of the official voting process.

Sad that it's come to this, but if the tellers seem determined to capitalise on people's natural assumptions that they are electoral officials, maybe the actual electoral officials need to start adopting a distinctive (hard to copy) uniform/sash/large badge or similar and put up a colossal sign outside (ideally right next to the tellers) informing electors that only people wearing X are electoral officials and thus are authorised to make requests.

But why? They aren’t doing anything untoward, they aren’t doing anything underhanded

But this is what several of us on here keep saying: they are acting in exactly the same way as many reasonable people would expect an electoral official to be acting - and they know very well that, if everybody knew they were not official stewards and were just prying in the interests of their party, nobody would speak to them at all.

I'd say that IS very much underhanded.

So why doesn't 'seeking elector information with the aim of using it to act to increase your party vote' count as campaigning?

Those saying that they can't understand how people are not aware of the role of a 'teller', well, I'm new to the British voting system, as I only recently became a British Citizen. During the local election recently I was approached by (who I assumed to be) a poling station official, asking to see my polling card. I only realised after leaving, that they were wearing a Conservative rosette. I felt duped and unhappy with myself for not challenging them. Today i was prepared and politely refused to show my poling card to the Conservative 'teller'. She didn't take it well and huffed and puffed in reply. I understand that the role of a teller is legally allowed but I find it strange and feel like it's duplicitous and almost a form of bullying. I wish they were open with people they approach and not pretend to be polling station officials.

why doesn't 'seeking elector information with the aim of using it to act to increase your party vote' count as campaigning?

Because the people they might contact as a result of finding out out who has or has not yet voted have already said they will be voting for their party.

In quiet times the tellers from different parties swap numbers that the other might have missed. There’s nothing shady about it.

What is stopping the candidates and their assistants from contacting households beforehand to remind people to vote (hopefully for them, if they wish to do so) and to give out a number and email for anybody to contact them on if they know now that they may need a lift to the polling station, or indeed if they suddenly find that they do on the day?

At the moment, it's looking like they don't care about helping people who may be very elderly and/or disabled but nevertheless struggle very slowly under their own steam to get there, as they are determined to cast their vote; but those who may be fit and healthy but just aren't bothered enough about voting to take a short walk down there without any fuss will end up getting an entirely unnecessary chauffeur to grab their vote.

But they can only find out which of 'their' supporters haven't yet been that sincere in their support and voted by bothering everybody and asking them for information that many will think they're being asked to give to an electoral official.

Even if the tellers do swap information between themselves about 'their' supporters, they're still hassling everybody in order to get that information.

There is a common belief that charities mutually swap names and numbers of regular donors with other unconnected charities - but this doesn't mean that most people love being hassled and bombarded by them - by their existing OR by new charities - in the hope that they just might give.

I don’t know about tellers in your area but in mine they are generally older people and unfailingly polite.

That's great - as long as they leave people in no reasonable doubt that they are not actually part of the official voting process.

I keep my polling card in my pocket and when asked (like I was today) say I haven’t got it. I realise it’s so parties can see who has voted but I didn’t vote for the main parties, no one could be arsed to come round and I don’t want to hand over my name and address.

I think what also rankles with me is when they just ask to see your polling card and don't even do you the decency of asking you for whatever info they would like (and make it clear that they are acting on behalf of a party and are not an official steward).

It rather underlines the idea that you're only an important bit of paper, with an irrelevant meatbag who happens to be holding it.