Have you ever thought about working at a polling station or helping to count the votes at an election? Our Elections Team is always looking to recruit motivated and enthusiastic staff. We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in becoming involved. 

If you are interested in working with us, please contact the elections team at elections.office@havant.gov.uk or by calling 02392 446225

We will make sure that we add your details to our database and consider you for future vacancies.  Please note that being on our database does not guarantee employment at election time.

To undertake election or canvassing duties you must:

  • be at least 18 years of age
  • be entitled to work in the UK (in accordance with the provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996)

We recruit for the following roles  -  

  • Canvassers
  • Poll Clerks
  • Presiding Officer
  • Poll Station Inspectors
  • Verification & Count Staff
  • Postal Vote Issuing & Opening Staff

If you are appointed to any of these positions, you will have to show you are entitled to work in the UK. You will need to provide one of the following:

  • A valid passport, or 
  • A full birth certificate issued in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Ireland, plus an official document giving your permanent National Insurance number, or 
  • A residence permit, registration certificate or document showing you are entitled to live in the UK permanently. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Canvasser

As a Canvasser you will be required to assist the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) with the annual compilation of the Register of Electors. To visit all properties assigned to you and make at least two attempts to obtain a completed Reminder (Canvass Communication Form B).

You will be expected to:

  • To complete the annual canvass in the agreed timescale
  • To visit households within your designated area to complete the Reminder CCB forms
  • Work evenings and weekends where required
  • To return completed forms to the council offices once a week on Friday
  • To ensure that confidentiality of the information held against each property is respected and maintained at all times and that all Data Security and Data Protection obligations, whether legislative or otherwise are observed;
  • To promote and comply with the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy in the opposition and eradication of all forms of discrimination and to ensure all services are accessible to all users
  • To return all equipment on completion of the canvass to the council offices

Poll Clerk

As Poll Clerk you will assist the Presiding Officer to run a polling station. You will help to set up polling station equipment, assist in the issue of ballot papers to members of the public, mark the electoral register and assist in the accurate completion of paperwork.

You will be expected to:

  • Attend a training session
  • Be at the polling station from 6.30am until the Presiding Officer confirms you can leave, which is usually around 10.30pm
  • Assist setting up your polling station and leave the building in a neat and secure state
  • Complete the work assigned to you by your Presiding Officer
  • Deal with members of the public in a helpful, polite and professional manner.
  • Assist in marking the register and any other paperwork as required
  • Work subject to the Secrecy Requirements
  • To promote and comply with the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy in the opposition and eradication of all forms of discrimination and to ensure all services are accessible to all users

Once you have worked as a poll clerk for at least 3 years, you may like to think about working as a Presiding Officer.

Presiding Officer

Presiding Officers are required to have undertaken at least 3 years as a Poll Clerk.  As Presiding Officer, you will be responsible for the management of your polling station.  You will be responsible for assigning work to your Poll Clerk(s), ensuring the accurate delivery of the poll and accounting for all ballot papers.  You may also have responsibility for ensuring your polling building is open and closed on the day. Access to your own transport is essential.

You will be expected to:

  • Attend a training session
  • Ensure the polling station is ready for the poll to start at 7.00am
  • Check arrangements for the opening and closing of your polling building and act as key-holder if necessary
  • Collect your ballot box from the council offices
  • Be responsible for setting up your polling station and leaving the building in a neat and secure state
  • Be responsible for assigning work to your Poll Clerk(s)
  • Deal with members of the public in a helpful, polite and professional manner.
  • Preparing the ballot paper account
  • Completion of all require paperwork in line with the instructions given
  • Delivering the ballot box and all sundries back to the count venue
  • Will be authorised to accept / reject postal vote packs
  • Work subject to the Secrecy Requirements
  • To promote and comply with the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy in the opposition and eradication of all forms of discrimination and to ensure all services are accessible to all users

Polling Station Inspector

Polling station inspectors are responsible for ensuring that polling stations are open and operating in accordance with election rules and the instructions of the Returning Officer.

You must have a good knowledge of the voting procedures and the ability to deal with and correct any problems or situations that arise. Own transport is essential.

You will be required to visit each polling station in their area at least 3 times and provide the level of support required by the Presiding Officers in their area.

You will be expected to:

  • Comply with any instructions from the Returning Officer.
  • To tour polling stations and report back as required.
  • To ensure that all polling stations are open, correctly staffed and signed, with all equipment in place and that all functions of the polling station are correct.
  • To maintain the secrecy of the ballot
  • Will be authorised to accept / reject postal vote packs and return completed packs to the council officers as instructed
  • To assist the Returning Officer with the rectification of any operational problems and to distribute polling equipment and stationery if required.
  • To promote and comply with the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy in the opposition and eradication of all forms of discrimination and to ensure all services are accessible to all users

Verification and Count Staff

The purpose of the Verification & Count team is to open ballot boxes, ensure the contents agree with the Ballot Paper Accounts and then count the votes for each candidate in the election.

 You will be expected to:

  • Be at the count venue at the required time and stay until the Count Supervisor releases you
  • Sort and count ballot papers quickly and accurately
  • Work as part of a team
  • Follow instructions from your Senior Counting Assistant
  • Recount ballot papers as required
  • Undertake work at unsociable hours
  • Work subject to the Secrecy Requirements

Count Supervisor

The Count Supervisor will be responsible for a team of varying size as designated by the Returning Officer. You will:

  • Attend training
  • Supervise the Verification procedure
  • Allocate contents of ballot box to Verification and Count Assistants.
  • Supervise the counting of the number of ballot papers.
  • Agree figures with Verification Table
  • Supervise re-counting of the contents if required.
  • Count
  • Allocate contents of ballot box to Verification and Count Assistants.
  • Supervise the division of ballot papers into votes for individual candidates and counting them using the method designated by the Returning Officer.
  • Advise figures to the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer as instructed.
  • Re-count if required.

Postal Vote Issuing / Opening Staff

The purpose of the postal vote issuing/opening process is to ensure that electors, or their proxies, who have chosen to vote by post, rather than in person at a polling station, receive a postal voting pack with correctly numbered ballot paper(s), and that returned postal votes are opened, checked and tallied in a secure manner. Votes for candidates are NOT counted as part of this process.

Postal Vote Issue Clerk

As directed by a Postal Vote Supervisor, clerks will work in teams. You will:

  • Check you have the correctly numbered ballot papers and postal packs against lists.
  • Put ballot paper(s) into the envelopes
  • Record numbers
  • Seal and count envelopes
  • Open, count and sort postal votes quickly and accurately
  • Work as part of a team
  • Follow instructions from your Postal Vote Opening Supervisor
  • Recount postal votes as required
  • Work subject to the Secrecy Requirements