Election jobs

The role

Poll clerks assist the Presiding officer in the conduct of the ballot in the polling station. Together, they make up the Polling Station Team.

They must ensure that voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere.

From May 2023, all voters in the polling station will be required to show photographic ID before voting. As a poll clerk, you will also be making checks and ensuring that voters understand this new process. 

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on 4 May 2023; therefore staff must arrive at the polling station early to set up the equipment in time for opening. In order to maintain the secrecy of the vote and safeguard the integrity of the process, they should not leave the premises during polling hours.

You will be working a 16-hour day, so you must provide your own refreshments and take appropriate breaks throughout the day to avoid tiredness. However, in order to maintain the secrecy of the vote and safeguard the integrity of the process, staff are not permitted to leave the premises during polling hours.

Duties

Overall

• Comply with any instructions from the Returning Officer
• Ensure that all electors are treated impartially and with respect
• Maintain the secrecy of the ballot at all times

Before polling day

• Attend a mandatory training session provided by the Electoral Services Office

Polling day

• Set up the polling station – this may involve some lifting to erect polling booths and move furniture
• Keep the polling station neat and tidy
• Check and mark electors’ electoral numbers in the register of electors and on the corresponding numbers lists
• Issue ballot papers to voters
• Ensure that voters cast their votes in secret and put them into the (correct) ballot box
• Follow instructions as given by the Presiding Officer

Close of poll

• Help to dismantle the polling station and ensure the building is returned to good order

All staff will be required to sign their agreement to maintain the secrecy of the poll.

Pay

£152, with an additional £30 for attending a mandatory training session. 

Where the polling station you are allocated to is administering multiple polls at the same time, there will also be a 20% increase to your base pay. 

How to apply

You can apply for an election job at any time of the year. We will add all applicants to our staff database and you will be contacted for your availability when we begin staffing for our next election.
 
The next scheduled election is the Police and Crime Commissioner election, which will take place on 2 May 2024. 

If you would like to be added to the database for future elections, please let us know in your application.

When you apply, tell us:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your contact details (email address, telephone number)
• Your date or birth
• Your national insurance number
• Your bank account details (sort code and account number)
• The position(s) you would like to apply for

Apply for an election job

Alternatively, request a form from us: contact Electoral Services

Usually, in the run-up to an election, we will write to everyone already listed on our staff database and ask them to indicate their availability. If you are already on our staffing database, you don’t need to apply again. 

Only individuals who have a right to work in the United Kingdom and with no political affiliations are eligible to work at elections.

Election staff must not work on behalf of a candidate during an election campaign, or be related to any prospective candidate.

Last updated: 03/04/2023 12:35