Presiding Officer Training

Presiding Officer Training

City Council &

Police & Crime Commissioner

5 May 2016

Electoral Services Team

Liz Read, Electoral Services Manager

Laura Martin, Electoral Services Operations Team Leader

Matthew Rossi, Electoral Services Operations Team Leader

Jade O’Hara, Electoral Services Support Officer

Rachel McLellan

,

Sue Uranjek, Customer Services Advisor

This

session

covers

• Outline what we expect you to do on polling day

• Discuss the voting processes and key issues

• Highlight a number of

administrative arrangements • Health and Safety issues for

Election

Aims

• That all voters have a good

experience, with any person who is entitled to vote being able to do so

• That the poll is professionally delivered

• That we produce accurate results in which all stakeholders are

confident

• That the poll is consistently administered

So what’s happening?

• City Council Elections • Ballot Paper is Yellow

• Voters can Vote for One candidate • Police and Crime Commissioner

Election

• Ballot Paper is White • Voters have two votes • Finham Parish Election • Ballot Paper is Grey

So what’s happening?

• Polling hours: 7am to 10pm

• arrive early to set up on time!!

• The franchise is the same for both polls

• guidance is in booklet, on the front of the Register and in the glossary of markers

• 2 ballot boxes (3 for Finham)

• 1 for City Council Ballot Papers • 1 for Police & Crime

Commissioner Ballot Papers

• Larger stations may have 4 ballot boxes 2 for locals and 2 for police & crime

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

• Keep your Polling Station Inspector informed of issues/problems

The Presiding Officer – management of the polling station

• Contact polling station / key holder / poll clerk

• Visit polling station

• Collect your Ballot Box from the Technology Park

• Dress code – professional, impartial but comfortable and warm!!

• Organise layout of the Polling Station

• Instruct / Supervise Poll Clerks • Account for all the ballot papers,

Poll

Clerk – general duties

• To know where the polling station is!

• To dress code – professional, impartial but comfortable and warm!!

• Help prepare for opening/closing

• Putting up and taking down the official notices • Ensure polling station is clean and tidy

• To be polite and professional in dealing with voters

• Checks electors are eligible to vote at that polling station

Role of Polling Station

Inspectors

• A point of contact for PO’s

• Check the layout of the station and ensure all notices are displayed

correctly

• Ensure things are running smoothly • Spare stationery/equipment

• Troubleshoots any problems keep Electoral Services informed

• Collect returned postal votes – early evening

11

We

expect all staff to:

• Arrive early - 6.30am

• Fully set up and open at 7am • PO’s to text PSI to confirm open

• Keep signs and notices visible all day • Receive and log postal votes handed in • Understand your responsibilities at

Setting up

polling station

• Test the route in and out of the station

• does it flow?

• easy access for voters?

• Put up correct Notices in right place

• Outside the Polling Station • Inside the Polling Station

• Inside the Voting Compartment

• Ballot box-secure but accessible

• Arrange Ballot Papers in numerical order • be ready to seal ballot boxes at 7 am

Using

Equipment

and

Opening

of Poll

14 Risks/ problems What will you do if…….

• Not being able to access your polling station

• Staff don’t turn up or are late

• Notices disappear during the day • Problems displaying notices

• Thinking of issuing a tendered paper • Have problems with tellers

• Selfies in the Polling Station • Pay attention to:

• Allocating right ballot papers in numerical order • Ballot papers matching the CNL

15 Who can enter the polling station? • Voters

• Returning Officer and his staff • Candidates and their agents

• Police Officers and Police Support Officers on duty

• Electoral Commission Representatives

• Accredited Observers

• Under 18s accompanying voters

Badges of

Accredited Observers and

EC Representatives

Customer care

• You are the frontline of the Election • Be helpful, approachable and show a

personal interest

• Allow voters 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 must be followed

at all times, no matter how insistent, upset or angry they are

Customer care

• Ensure that the voting process is accessible to all:

– Layout must work for all voters including wheelchair users

– stationery if provided in alternative languages and formats should be clearly visible

– You must be able to provide information to disabled voters on options for

Tactile voting template

• Tactile template needs to be clearly visible and you should be confident in using it

• How to use – make sure that the template is securely attached to the ballot paper and that the voter is confident about using it. The voter should:

• Lift the selected window • Mark their preference • Close the window

• Separate the template from the ballot paper

• Fold and place the ballot paper in the ballot box • Return the template

Who

can

vote?

• Electors with no letters/dates before name

• Electors who are 18 years old on or before 5 May

• Electors who have registered

anonymously (have ‘N’ instead of a name), these will be in Other Electors • Electors with ‘G’ before their name

(European Union citizens)

• Electors with a ‘K’ before their name • Electors with an ‘L’ before their name

Issuing

the

ballot

papers

The Register and the CNL

• Ask the elector to confirm their name and address

• Mark the Register with short horizontal line between the elector number and name

• Read out the elector name and number • Enter the voter’s elector number on the

Corresponding Number Lists (CNL) against ballot papers issued

Issuing

the

ballot

papers

Ballot Papers

• Pre-fold the paper off centre • Then open up fully so whole

paper visible

• Check papers Official Mark,

ballot paper number and unique identifying mark (UIM)

Issuing the

ballot

25

Marking ballot paper for the Local

Government Election

• Electors have one vote

• They should put an X in the box to right of name of the candidate they want to vote for

• If they vote for more than 1

candidate their ballot paper will not be counted

Marking ballot paper for the Police & Crime Commissioner Election

• Police and Crime Commissioner elections are conducted using the supplementary vote system

• Voters will be asked to vote for their first choice candidate by marking a

cross (X) in the first choice column and vote for their second choice candidate by marking a cross (X) in the second choice column.

• As long as they put a cross in the first choice column, their vote will be

counted.

• Voters can choose not to mark a second choice.

• If they only mark a second choice, their vote won’t be counted.

Marking

ballot

paper for

Finham

Parish

• Electors can vote for up to 10 candidates

• They should put an X in the box to right of name of the candidates they want to vote for

• They do not have to vote for 10 but if they vote for more than 10 then their vote will not be counted

Marking

ballot

paper

• If a voter asks you how to vote, read out the instructions at the top of

each ballot paper

• If voters make a mistake, simply follow the spoilt procedure.

• Don’t get into conversations about the election, the police, the council or anything other than how to vote.

Ballot Papers

Local Ballot Paper Police & Crime Commissioner Ballot Paper

Prescribed

questions

• The prescribed questions must be asked:

• When a candidate, election or polling agent requests them

• Before issuing a tendered ballot paper • Presiding Officer instructs them to

be used

• The prescribed questions should be asked:

• When you suspect personation

• When a registered elector is clearly underage

• When an elector states their name is not as shown in the register of electors

Tendered

Ballot

Papers

• If someone is marked as having already voted – ie personation

• Register shows ‘A’ but elector says they insist they did not apply or

receive a Postal vote

• DO NOT issue until you have discussed the issue with the elections office.

• Tendered ballot papers are in a sealed envelope advising you of this.

What

happens

if….?

• a voter spoils a ballot paper

• a person believes they should be on the register but they are not listed

• 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

• there is a disturbance at the polling station

Postal

votes

• Can be handed in at any polling station within the WARD (Finham Parish just at

the 2 stations)

• Record them on the log sheet and place them in the Postal Vote wallet provided.

• PSI will collect early evening • Remaining bring to the Ricoh

• Voters marked ‘A’ cannot be given a ballot paper at the Polling Station. If they arrive:

- before 5pm -direct them to Electoral Services for a replacement (with photo ID)

- after 5pm – only if they insist on voting ask the prescribed questions and issue a tendered ballot paper

Close

of Poll –

Managing

a queue

• At any point in the day – call the election office

• Just before 10pm

– make sure those waiting can cast their vote

– check that anyone waiting to vote is at the correct polling station for their address

Close

of Poll –

Managing

a queue

• At 10pm:

– bring all the waiting electors into the room/building and close the door, OR

– if the room/building is not big enough, a member of the team should hand out the pink queue cards

– continue to issue ballot papers until everyone who was in the queue by 10pm has voted

• Anyone who was not in the queue at 10pm must NOT be issued with a ballot paper.

Close

of Poll

10pm

• Once all the voters have who are

entitled to have exercised their vote and put the ballot paper in the boxes

• Seal ballot boxes in presence of

candidates, election/polling agents, observers, Electoral Commission reps • agents are entitled to affix their seal

At 10pm:

Official

Paperwork

and other

duties

• It is critical that your ballot paper accounts are accurate

• Must be placed in the envelope provided and then in the wallet on top of the ballot boxes

• Ensure all documents placed in correct packets – guide provided • Poll clerks should pack up the

station while Presiding Officer completes the paperwork

Ballot Paper Account 2 Exercise (no. 1)

• Count up the number of remaining complete books of hundred (12 in this example).

• Then count the number of papers remaining in each of the part used books (28 in one book and 16 in the other in this example).

• You have issued 1 replacement for spoilt ballot papers.

• You have not issued any tendered ballot papers.

Complete the blank ballot paper account you have been given.

Health

and

safety

• Be aware of potential risks to safety • Inspect premises regularly, complete

an evacuation assessment

• If hazards are discovered –find a remedy

• If accident occurs – follow procedures

42

Countdown to polling

day • Visit polling station, confirm contact _{and access arrangements}

• Dress comfortably but impartially

• Know how to do ballot paper accounts • Be aware of rules/procedures e.g.

Collecting

your

ballot

box

• Ballot boxes to be collected from The full address is The

Simulation Centre Building,

Coventry University Technology Park, Cheetah Road, Coventry, CV1 2TL

• Times for Collection

• Check, and double check to make sure all the contents are correct and for your polling

station

• Also check that you have the ballot boxes….and lids!!

Keep in

contact

• It is essential we can contact you throughout the day

• Keep your mobile phone switched on, NOT on silent and fully charged

• Take your mobile charger with you

• Put Electoral Services office no. in your phone in advance 024 7683 3035

Thank You

Any questions?

More information is at