Transcript Regional Returning Officer’s Training Seminar

Polling station staff
training session
Local government elections in England and
the referendum on the voting system for UK
Parliamentary elections – 5 May 2011
Introduction
Counting Officer
Electoral Services Manager
Objectives of
the training
session
• Your role is key – you are the customer
service face of the election and
referendum.
• At this session we will:
– outline what we expect you to do on
polling day
– discuss the voting procedures
– think about health and safety issues
– highlight a number of administrative
arrangements
• that the polls are consistently
Key aims for
the election and administered
• that the process is transparent
referendum
• that the polls are professionally delivered
• that they produce accurate results in
which all stakeholders are confident
• that all voters have a good experience,
with any person who is entitled to vote
being able to do so
Voting at the
local
government
elections
• Local government elections in England
are conducted using the first-past-the-post
electoral system.
• Voters have one or more votes,
depending on how many candidates are
to be elected to represent an electoral
division/ward, and should place a cross in
the box to the right of the name of the
candidate(s) for whom they wish to vote.
Overview of
the
Referendum
• A referendum is a direct vote in which the
electorate is asked to either accept or
reject a particular proposal.
• On 5 May there will be a referendum on
the voting system for UK Parliamentary
elections.
• Voters have one vote and should mark a
cross (X) in either the ‘yes’ or the ‘no’ box
on the ballot paper.
Provision of
• in response to questions on what
voter
the referendum is about you should
information on
be politically neutral and in no way
the referendum be or be interpreted to be
supporting one option or the other
• use the FAQs document and take
care not to stray from the provided
answers
It is essential that you…
– act impartially at all times
– comply with any instructions issued by the Counting Officer
– ensure the secrecy and security of the ballot
• Liaise with the key-holder of the
building
• Organise the layout of the polling
management of station
the polling
• Instruct and supervise the work of
station
the Poll Clerks
• Account for all the ballot papers,
ballot boxes and paperwork
The Presiding
Officer –
The Poll
Clerk –
general
duties
•
•
•
•
Assist with the layout of the polling
station and prepare for the opening of
the poll
Be polite and professional in dealing
with the voters
Check that electors are eligible to vote
in the referendum and at that polling
station
Understand the process for issuing
ballot papers
Countdown to
polling day
• Essential tasks
– Visit polling place and check out
contact and access arrangements
– Check out arrangements for ballot box
collection and check contents as soon
as possible
– Contact other members of the team
– Dress code – ensure clothing reflects
professionalism and impartiality but is
also comfortable
Polling station
inspectors
• A point of contact
• Supplies of stationery and equipment
• Responsible for
–
–
–
–
–
Checking layout of stations
Checking things are running smoothly
Being aware of and dealing with queues
Collecting any returned postal votes
Distributing payments (if appropriate)
• Contact numbers [ ……………. ]
Risks
•
•
•
•
•
•
Can’t make contact with key-holder
Can’t gain access to the polling station
Staff failing to turn up or being late
Problems affecting the display of notices
Wrong registers allocated to the station
The ballot paper numbers do not match
those pre-printed on the CNL
• Tendered ballot papers wrongly issued
• Queues building up at the close of poll
The Polling Station
Setting up, layout and who can enter the polling station
Setting up the
polling station
• Layout / notices (see set-up checklist in Appendix
11 of the Polling station handbook)
– must work primarily for the voter
– walk route voter expected to follow
– accessible to all voters
• Location of ballot box(es)
– accessible and secure
• Arrange each set of ballot papers in numerical
order
• Tellers, campaigners and agents
– who can enter the polling station?
• Sealing the box(es)
Polling station
layout
Polling station
layout
Who can enter
the polling
station?
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Voters
Counting Officer and staff
Candidates and agents
Referendum agents
polling agents
Police officers on duty
Representatives of the Electoral Commission
Accredited observers
Under 18s accompanying voters
Companions of voters with disabilities
Two types of ID
issued by the
Electoral
Commission
Customer care • Show a personal interest
• Be helpful and approachable
• Listen and empathise with them
• Allow them to put their point across before
responding
• Don’t say ‘No’, tell them what you can do
for them and what they can do
• But the election rules and the referendum
rules must be followed at all times, no
matter how insistent, upset or angry they
are
• If in doubt, contact the elections office
Customer care • Ensure that the voting process is
accessible to all:
(cont’d)
– layout must work for all voters,
including wheelchair users
– stationery provided in alternative
languages and formats should be
clearly visible
– you must be able to provide
information to disabled electors on
options for voting aided and unaided
Tactile voting
template
• Tactile template needs to be clearly
visible and you should be confident in
using it
• How to use
Who can and cannot
vote?
Using the electoral register and corresponding number list(s)
Who is
eligible to vote
at the polling
station in the
local
government
elections?
• Electors with no letters or dates before
their name
• Electors who are 18 years of age or over
on the day of the election – date on or
before polling day before their name
• Electors with a ‘G’ before their name
• Electors with a ‘K’ before their name
• Electors with an ‘L’ before their name
• Electors who have registered
anonymously - will have an ‘N’ instead of
a name
• Electors with no letters or dates before
Who is
their name
eligible to vote
• Electors with an anonymous entry who
at the polling
have no letter next to their entry other
station at the
than the letter ‘N’
referendum?
•
•
•
•
Electors with an ‘E’ before their name
Electors who are 18 years of age or over
Electors with an ‘F’ before their name
Electors with an ‘L’ before their name
Issuing the
ballot papers
• Marking the register and the CNL(s)
– Make the elector confirm their name
– Mark electors’ elector number in the
register
– Enter the electors’ elector number on the
Corresponding Number List(s) (CNL(s))
– Do NOT write the elector number on the
ballot paper!
• Ballot papers
– Open up fully so the whole paper is
visible.
– Official mark
– Ballot paper number and unique
Identifying Mark (UIM)
Marking the
register
Queen’s
Walk
BC
JP12 7AS
411 G
Vella, Eva
1
412 F
Vella, Tolek
1
413 K
Vella, Christina 1
414--------- ----------- Brown, Robert 3
415
Evans, Gareth 5
416--------- ------------ Hall, Peter
7
417
Myers, Martin 7
418 A
Bishop,
13
Stephanie
418/1
02 Feb Smith, Ben
13
Click to: return to slide
Example
Corresponding
Number List
(CNL)
BC 27/1
Click to: return to slide
Example
reverse of
ballot paper
Marking the
• Voters have one or more votes,
ballot paper for depending on how many candidates
the local
are to be elected to represent an
government
electoral division/ward, and should
election
place a cross in the box to the right
of the name of the candidate(s) for
whom they wish to vote.
• If they vote for more candidates
than they are entitled to, their ballot
paper will not be counted.
Marking the
• Some electors may need to have
ballot paper for the voting process explained to
the referendum them:
– voters have one vote, and should
place a cross (X) in either the
‘yes’ or the ‘no’ box
– If they vote for more than one
choice, their ballot paper will not
be counted
What
happens if…?
• you are handed a certificate of employment
• a voter spoils a ballot paper
• a voter has nominated a proxy but the voter
arrives before the proxy
• a person arrives to vote but the register indicates
the person has already voted
• a person arrives to vote but the register indicates
the person is a postal voter
• a person arrives wanting to vote as an emergency
proxy
• a person believes they should be on the register
but they are not listed
• there is a disturbance at the polling station
The
prescribed
questions
• The prescribed questions must be asked:
– when you suspect personation
– when a registered elector is clearly under
age
– when a candidate, an election agent,
referendum agent or polling agent
requests them
– always before issuing a tendered ballot
paper
Postal Votes
• voters can hand in their postal votes at
any polling station in the local authority
(check a pack is for the local authority
before accepting it)
• returned postal ballot packs must be
sealed and labelled as instructed
• [insert procedure for collection of postal
ballot packs by the Counting Officer
during the day]
Postal votes
• ‘A’ markers cannot be given an ordinary
ballot paper at the polling station:
– direct to Counting Officer for replacement
(before 5pm)
– tendered ballot paper procedure after 5pm
• exception: where elector claims never to
have applied for a postal vote. In such
case, they would be eligible for a tendered
at any time.
Close of Poll
The procedures to be followed
Close of poll • Must close at 10 pm
• Anyone who has been issued with a
ballot paper(s) by 10 pm must be
allowed to vote
• However cannot issue after 10pm,
even if elector was in a queue at 10pm
• Seal ballot box(es)
• Candidates/agents and campaigners
are entitled to affix seals now that the
polls have closed.
After close of
poll
• Absolutely essential that the ballot paper
accounts are completed accurately
• The ballot paper accounts must be placed
in the envelopes provided – keep these
with the ballot box(es)
• Ensure all documents placed in correct
packets and signed as appropriate
• Poll clerks to assist packing up station to
allow presiding officer to do these
important tasks
Health and
safety
• never put the safety of anyone inside the
polling station at risk
• be aware to any potential risks to safety
• inspect the premises regularly
• if hazards are discovered – find a remedy
• if an accident occurs – follow procedures
• be careful when lifting heavy objects
Any questions?
Additional
Information
• Election team contacts
• Electoral Commission website
– www.electoralcommission.org.uk
– www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
• Feedback Sheets