You may make as much as £200 for a day working in ballot stations through the native and common elections.
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You might assume the individuals who sit there and hand out voting kinds are council staff, having a day trip of the workplace, or folks volunteering, however they’re not. They’re incomes first rate cash.
As a ballot clerk in a polling station, you may earn as much as £200 for a day’s work (some roles pay extra).
Jobs at polling stations are one-offs throughout elections, so they’re informal work or a aspect hustle reasonably than full-time jobs.
In case you’ve obtained the time, maybe you’re a scholar or retired, or you may guide the time without work work as annual go away to spice up your revenue; this can be good for you.
What do ballot station workers do?
Polling station workers are there to ensure the voting day runs easily and calmly beneath a democratic course of.
They permit folks to vote in secret and be free from any affect, in addition to ensure that all procedures are adopted when the polls shut.
Employees will assist arrange gear, subject poll papers, mark the electoral register and assist full paperwork.
Whereas polling stations are open for votes from 7 am till 10 pm, workers should be on the ballot station sooner than this to get every thing arrange earlier than the voters arrive.
Then, afterwards, there’s checking ballots and counting them.
What sort of Ballot Station jobs are you able to do?
There are a number of completely different roles at polling stations that are all carried out on an informal foundation:
- Ballot Clerk
- Presiding Officer
- Counting Assistant
- Postal Vote Opener
- Canvasser/Ballot Card supply
Ballot clerk
Ballot Clerks assist arrange and hold the polling station ticking alongside through the voting day.
They’ll hold issues tidy, reply questions from voters and hand out poll papers.
You’ll have to have plenty of persistence in addition to have good literacy and numeracy abilities.
Presiding Officer
The Presiding Officer may have a very good information of elections and may have labored as a Ballot Clerk or Officer earlier than.
They may have duty for the poll papers, checking and marking electoral numbers within the register.
When the polls shut, they shut down the Polling Station, and also will ship the Poll Field and any paperwork to the place the depend is going down.
Counting assistants
Counting Assistants verify and depend the votes, however the job doesn’t begin till the voting is completed.
As folks can vote till 10 pm, the voting has to start out after this time. Poll papers are taken to a depend venue, they usually get checked, sorted and counted.
Some poll papers are counted in the identical night, by way of the evening, however others might be counted the subsequent day.
You could have a excessive stage of accuracy (you don’t need to get the depend fallacious), and also you’ll additionally have to have a powerful stage of focus.
Postal Vote Opener
Very merely, but in addition vital, this position offers with the votes of people that opted for the postal vote.
This might be finished forward of the primary election day and might be a number of days of labor.
There might be no counting finished (that’s finished by the counters after the polls shut) however postal vote papers might be opened, checked and ready for the primary depend.
Folks on this position want to take care of a excessive stage of confidentiality as a result of data they’ll see.
Canvasser/Ballot Card supply
You might keep in mind a letter coming by way of your door annually about voters who reside at your house. That is for the electoral register.
You’re capable of return the data by submit or on a web site however, in the event you don’t, you’re going to get a knock on the door from a canvasser who can full the main points for you then and there.
Who can apply for Polling Station and Ballot Clerk jobs?
You don’t have to have any {qualifications} or earlier expertise to work as a Ballot Clerk.
Nevertheless, that you must be a minimum of 18 years outdated to work in a polling station. For a Counting Assistant job, some councils say that you must be 18, however some permit 16 yr olds to do the position.
You’ll additionally have to have a proper to work within the UK, so that you must present a passport/start certificates and proof of your Nationwide Insurance coverage quantity.
When you don’t want any {qualifications} to hold out any of the roles, you’ll need to have a selected talent set.
You will want to have good literacy and numeracy abilities, have the ability to work beneath stress, be extremely correct, be politically impartial, neutral, confidential, and respectful always.
In case you’ve had earlier buyer service-facing roles, it will likely be useful.
For a few of the roles, chances are you’ll want to have the ability to drive and have entry to a automobile, as public transport will be unable to get you to and from the polling station on the opening /closing instances.
You can’t have been convicted of an offence beneath Electoral Laws to work in a Polling Station.
Additionally, you aren’t capable of do polling station work if you’re a relative of a candidate who’s working or if you’re doing any work on behalf of a candidate.
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How a lot will you receives a commission?
The charges of pay for ballot clerk jobs and different roles rely on the council.
Every council units its pay charges.
Right here’s a mean of the day charges I’ve discovered:
| Position | Common day charge |
| Ballot Clerk | £180 |
| Presiding Officer | £280 |
| Vote Counting Assistant | £90 |
| Postal Vote Opener | £8 – £10 per hour |
Anything value figuring out?
It’s an extended day!
Polling stations are open from 7 am till 10 pm, however you can be there longer to get arrange within the morning and assist shut down.
You’ll doubtless be working for round 16 hours however may have breaks.
As a result of it’s an extended working day, you’ll need to waive the Working Time Directive.
Pack a giant lunch field
You’re not capable of go away the premises the place the voting takes place.
Make sure that to pack a very good breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks to see you thru and hold your vitality up.
You’ll get coaching
Coaching is offered, so that you received’t want to fret that you simply’ll be thrown into the deep finish.
Apply early
If there’s a snap election, then councils could also be a bit panicky to get Ballot Clerk workers in place. Nevertheless, they normally have time to plan.
Don’t apply weeks earlier than pondering you’ll get a bit of money. You’ll doubtless want to use a very good few months prematurely to offer councils time to shortlist folks and put coaching in place.
Cash
Every council does issues in another way.
Most will doubtless deduct tax out of your earnings earlier than you’re paid, but it surely’s value checking the way it works.
In case you’re registered as unemployed, it is best to verify together with your native Jobcentre Plus workplace to see the way it impacts any advantages.
The place to use?
Verify your native council elections web site to see in the event that they’re promoting for any polling jobs.
You’ll most likely want to finish an utility type, otherwise you’ll have the ability to apply through their website.
In case you can not see something marketed, contact your council straight and ask to talk to the elections workforce.
Register to vote
Let’s not overlook, get your self registered to vote in the event you’re not already.
It takes 5 minutes of your time after which you may vote if you wish to – you’ve given your self the selection.
You solely have to register as soon as (or replace your deal with particulars in the event you transfer), and also you don’t have to register for each election.
It’s additionally worthwhile to do to assist your credit score file.
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