Is anyone else here working at a Polling Station on Thursday?

[Stinkyfeet]

If so, what are you doing and more importantly, what food are you taking?!

Just ring the local council and they'll take your details. We're usually desperate for people to do the elections so they'll probably bite your hand off.

I have neve done the count as our LA would never let you do both. i always fancied it though.

It helps if you work for the Local Authority - we always get first dibs! Otherwise if you know someone who does, get them to get you an application form when they come out. Failing that, contact the Elections office at your LA (give them a few weeks to get over this election though!) and ask about putting your name down.

That's still the deal, llareggub - nice little earner!

Some of my colleagues do the canvassing, poll card delivery and the election day - they make an absolute fortune out of elections.

Dont know what time I will be finished - pay is the same whatever - £90. Last year I finished at 2am so was rather tired next day ,but off on Friday this year so should be OK.

I think as soon as the boxes come in then they can start to be verified - i.e the number of ballots in box verfied against the number of people voted which means you just count how many pieces of paper in box , - but actually counting will not take place until all boxes have been verified !

To get to do election work , ring up the brough council,and speak with the electoral office and they will put you on a list - i think you may even be able to do it online with your borough council .

Once in the system etc you will get a request to do work every time there is an election - local or general.

If you do a good job they tend to make a note of your name and make sure that you are top of the list for next time .

We didn't finish until 6am for the county elections last year. I was 7 months pregnant with DS2. I cried as I crawled into bed I was soooo tired.

Blimey 6am ! what happened ? recounts ?

I am down as a teller (?) for the Lib Dems for our council count on Friday - not quite sure what this will involve apart from not touching any ballot papers! Arguing with porridge maybe?

Woah, 6am! Had you been on duty all day for the election as well?

Late postals
Sorting out euros from county papers
Multiple seats
Tortuous verification
high proportion of spoilt ballots
2 recounts

Aaaargh

Me, me, I'm a poll clerk

I shall have to sprint around the supermarket tomorrow and see what takes my fancy. I'm in a village hall, so hoping there'll be a microwave, can't face sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Good plan re trashy mags Bex.

Yes - had been at work at 7am. I question the wisdom of a night count, especially since me with a calculator at 5.30am is unlikely terribly reliable. But thank god for you lot! Democracy is safe!

Hey Chippy - are you local? I'm in our neighbouring London Borough. Have you done it before? A village hall should have an entire kitchen surely!

Just over the border in the opposite direction - Wrysbry. oooh errr

(was your DS at tag rugby tonight?)

Oooh - you'll have a much nicer electorate than me then!

Yes, he was, although he denies it was tag rugby . Yours?

Do you think? I suspect the electorate may well range from one extreme to the other...

DS said same thing about the rugby .
Am I still anonymous btw? I have no idea about you lol.

Did your dd start last week? If so, I may have clocked you! I usually have ds2 (4)with me if that narrows it down!

if you are a teller you'll be counting in your head as the counter counts. check that votes don't end up in the wrong pile. if it happens you politely ask the counter to check again please.

sometimes you might be asked to do rough tally charts if you have a couple of different ballot boxes being poured out on to your table.

you may also get involved in heated debates as to whether a vote is spoilt or not.

tis all excellent fun.

this is the first year in a looong tme that I'm not involved on the day

What do you normally do Kitten? The count?

I will definitely volunteer my services in a couple of months time, when we should hopefully have moved house.

£90? Our stingy lot only pay £60
am too tired to do it anyway tbh.

I'm doing the count, for about the 8th year in a row. Last GE I got home at 4am [tired]. But we get paid a fixed sum for the first two hours, then an additional amount per hout thereafter, so lots of recounts please .

am normally a teller at the station and (oh I have my terms muddled don't I) a counting agent at the count

blimey, its only been a year, how could I have forgotten it all?!

best station I had was next to a chippy