Transcript Polling Station Staff Briefing Session Combined European Parliamentary and local government elections 4 June 2009

Polling Station Staff
Briefing Session
Combined European Parliamentary and local
government elections
4 June 2009
Introduction
(Local) Returning Officer
Electoral Services Manager
Objectives of
the training
session
• In order to prepare for the elections we will
– Outline the combined European Parliamentary
and local government elections
– Discuss the duties of the polling station staff
– Look at pre-polling day activities
– Look at the set up of the polling station
– Outline those entitled to be present at the
polling station
– Discuss the voting procedure
– Think about health and safety issues
– Highlight administrative arrangements
Overview of the • On 4th June there will be elections to the
Elections 2009 European Parliament across the UK
• In this area there will also be local
government elections
• Polling hours: 7am to 10pm
It is essential that you…
– Act impartially at all times
– Comply with any instructions issued by the Returning
Officer
– Ensure the secrecy and security of the ballot
The Presiding
Officer –
management of
the polling
station
– Ensure the secrecy and security of the ballot
– Liaise with the key-holder of the building and
organise the layout of the polling station
– Instruct and supervise the work of the Poll
Clerks
– Be responsible and account for all the ballot
papers, ballot boxes and paperwork
– Ensure that proper procedure is followed,
including ensuring that the corresponding
number list is marked correctly.
Practical Tasks
– Overview of issue of ballot papers to voters
– Deal with special voting procedures
– Ask the prescribed questions when necessary
tasks – Receive postal votes delivered by voters
– Manage the attendance of those entitled to be
present in the polling station, and ensure they do
not interfere with the voting process
– Monitor the activities of tellers
– Keep the polling station neat and tidy
– Ensure that all signs and notices are clear, visible
and remain in place
The Presiding
Officer –
practical
The Poll Clerk
General duties
– Comply with the instructions of the (Local)
Returning Officer and the Presiding Officer
– Assist with the layout of the polling station and
prepare for the opening of the poll
– Be polite and professional in dealing with
voters, candidates, agents and others entitled
to be present
– Check that electors are eligible to vote in the
election and at that polling station
– Ensure that voters cast their votes in secret
– Maintain the secrecy of the ballot at all times
The Poll Clerk
– specific tasks
– Check and mark the elector numbers in
the register of electors
– Enter the electors’ electoral numbers in the
Corresponding Number List (CNL)
– Issue ballot papers to voters, ensuring
they bear the official mark
– Ensure that voters cast their votes in
secret
– Help with any other polling station duties
on the instructions of the Presiding Officer
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
– Read Handbook for polling station staff
Handbook for
polling station
staff
and
quick guide
Polling station
inspectors
• Supplies of stationery and equipment
• Responsible for
–
–
–
–
Checking layout of stations
Checking things are running smoothly
Collect any returned postal votes
Distribute payments
• 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
The Polling Station
Setting up the
polling station
• Layout
– must work primarily for the voter
– walk route voter expected to follow
– accessible to all voters
• Notices
– inside and outside polling
• Location of ballot box(es)
– accessible and secure
• Arrange each set of ballot papers in
numerical order
• Tellers and agents
– Who can enter the polling station?
• Sealing the box
Polling station
layout
Polling station
layout
(es)
(es)
Who can enter
the polling
station?
– Voters
– Local/Regional/local government Returning
Officers and staff
– Candidates at the European election (party list
and individual), their election agents, subagents and polling agents
– Candidates at the local government election,
their election agents and 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
How do we care for the electors?
• Show a personal interest
• Take responsibility and act on own initiative
• Be helpful and approachable
• Listen and empathise with them
• Allow them to put their point across before
responding
• Tell them what you can do
• But the election rules must be followed at all times
Customer care Ensure that the voting process is accessible
to all:
• layout must work for all voters, including
wheelchair users
• stationery provided in alternative
languages and formats should be clearly
visible
• tactile template needs to be clearly visible
and you should be confident in using it
• you must be able to provide information to
disabled electors on options for voting
aided and unaided
Who can vote?
Using the electoral register and corresponding number lists
Chapter 5 Polling station handbook
General rules
• These people can vote in the polling station for all 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 (without any additional franchise markers)
– electors who have registered anonymously who have an
‘N’ instead of a name (without any additional franchise
markers)
• Electors with an ‘A’ are postal voters, so are not eligible to
receive a normal ballot paper in the polling station.
– electors with an [A*/A#] are postal voters for the [local
government/European Parliamentary election] only.
– electors with an [A*/A#] are postal voters for the [local
government/European Parliamentary election] only.
Eligibility
differences
European
Parliamentary
and local
government
elections
European
Parliamentary
only
Local
government
only
K (or K +N)
E (or E + N)
G (or G + N)
L (or L + N)
F (or F + N)
Issuing the
ballot papers
•Marking the register and the CNL
– Mark electors’ elector number in the
register
– Enter the electors’ elector number on the
Corresponding Number List (CNL)
– Do NOT write the elector number on the
ballot paper!
•Ballot papers
– Official mark
– Unique Identifying Mark (UIM)
– Folding the ballot paper
Marking the
register
Queen’s Walk
BC
JP12 7AS
411 G
Vella, Eva
1
412 G
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, Stephanie
13
Smith, Ben
13
418/1
04 June
Return to ‘issuing the ballot papers’
The
Corresponding
Number List
(CNL)
BC 27/1
Return to ‘issuing the ballot papers’
Back of ballot
paper
Marking the
ballot paper
• Some electors may need to have the voting
process explained to them:
- Voters at the European Parliamentary election
have one vote. They can vote for a party (and its
list of candidates) or for an individual candidate
and should place a cross in the blank box next to
the party or individual candidate they wish to vote
for.
- Voters at the local government election have
[one/two/three] votes and should place a cross in
the box to the right of the candidate(s) they wish to
vote for.
What
happens if…
• a voter is entitled to only one ballot paper?
• 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
• emergency proxy voter procedure
• a person believes they should be on the register
but they are not listed
The
prescribed
questions
The prescribed questions must be asked:
•
•
•
•
When the Presiding Officer requires them to be
When polling station staff suspect personation
When a registered elector is clearly under age
When a candidate, an election agent or polling
agent requests them
• Before issuing a tendered ballot paper, including:
when an elector, listed as a postal voter,
states they never received their ballot
papers
when an elector, listed as a postal voter,
states they never applied for a postal vote
Postal votes
• Packs can be handed in at polling stations in the same
[electoral division/parish/parish ward] – check they are
for the correct area.
• Procedure for collection of postal ballot packs during the
day by the Returning Officer.
• Voters with an ‘A’ marked against their name cannot be
given an ordinary ballot paper at the polling station:
– direct to Returning Officer for replacement (before
5pm)
– tendered papers for postal voters who claim not to
have applied or received a ballot
– different times for issue of tendered ballot papers
• Returned postal ballot packs must be sealed and
labelled as instructed
Close of Poll
Close of Poll
• Must close at 10 pm
• Make sure the doors are closed
• Anyone who has been issued with a ballot
paper 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) in the presence of
candidates, election and polling agents,
accredited observers, Electoral
Commission representatives and Police
Officers on duty. Agents entitled to affix
seal.
After close of
poll
• Absolutely essential that the ballot paper
accounts are completed accurately
• The ballot paper accounts must be placed
in the envelope provided – keep these
with the ballot box(es)
• Ensure all documents are sealed and
signed as appropriate
• there is a mistake on the register
What
happens if … • tendered papers are wrongly issued
•
•
•
a person has been missed off the
register
an accident occurs in the polling station
an incident outside the polling station
prevents the Presiding Officer from
leaving for the count
Health and
safety
Managing risk is crucial to the effective
outcome of the election
• 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
Questions
Additional
Information
• Election Team Contacts
– ESM
– Staffing Officer
– Polling Station Officer
• Electoral Commission website
– www.electoralcommission.org.uk
– www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
• Feedback Sheets