Polling Assistant

As a Polling Assistant you  support the smooth, secure and lawful operations of elections by assisting voters at polling stations. You must know all the procedures for voting and how to deal with any problems that might arise on the day poll

You are required to be at your polling place from 6.15am until approximately 10.30pm or until the ballot boxes and materials have been collected. 

On arrival at your polling place you should report to the Senior Presiding Officer they are normally around polling station no. 1.

Show them your letter of appointment and you will  be given a Polling Assistant lanyard. These are reusable so please do not write on them.

You will then be directed to a designated area of the polling station. Some of you will start the day at a polling table and some at the door of the polling station as a meet and greeter for voters.  

Polling assistants will rotate approximately every one to two hours between duties at the polling table and serving as a meet and greeter at the front door. The rota will be organised by the Senior Presiding Officer early in the morning.

When undertaking the meet and greet role, staff must wear the high-visability purple vest while at the front door so voters know that you are elections staff and are there to help. 

Duties of a Polling Assistant

Your role is to comply with the instructions of the Returning Officer and the Presiding Officer

You will:

  • Assist with the setting up of the polling place and preparations for the opening of the poll, this will include helping to empty the blue crate of materials and placing them in the correct areas of your polling station. Assist in dressing the ballot box and placing posters outside and inside the polling place.  
  • Be welcoming, polite and professional in dealing with voters, candidates and agents, representatives of the Electoral Commission and accredited observers.
  • Help voters understand what they need to do and, where there is more than one polling station in the premises, direct electors to the correct polling station.
  • If a voter hands you a postal vote, hand that postal vote into polling station no.1
  • Act impartially at all times and answer voters’ questions in a friendly and professional manner. Attend training, read and understand the polling staff handbook which will help you with what information you may be asked
  • Check that electors are eligible to vote in the election and at this polling station and you will check and mark voters elector numbers in the Register of electors
  • At times also be required to take over the Presiding Officer tasks in relation to voting because they are helping a voter or they are on a break
  • When that happens, write the elector’s voter number against the number of the ballot papers issued on the Corresponding Number List and issue ballot papers, ensuring they bear the official mark
  • Undertake or assist with any polling duties on the instruction of the Senior Presiding Officer / Presiding Officer
  • Assist the Senior Presiding Officer / Presiding Officer after the close of poll with tasks that are needed to be done. This will include checking that the ballot paper account is correct and helping to remove the posters from inside outside the polling place and flatten ballot booths. 

Standby Polling Assistant

When all our polling places are fully staffed, our staffing team employ a small number of stand-by staff, these members of staff are on stand-by just in case a member of polling staff phones in sick or doesn’t turn up at their polling place on the day of poll.

If you have been employed as a reserve member of staff, on Thursday 3 September you need to be up and ready with your bags packed including all your food and drink for 6.15am.

You MUST be contactable and ready to go to any polling place in between the times you have been employed for.

If you are not required you will be sent a text at 9am to ‘stand down’