Dates and timings

Scheduled elections usually take place on the first Thursday of May. Other by-elections for MPs or local and parish councillors can take place at any other time of the year. This can be any weekday.  

Polls are all run from 7am to 10pm. If you are working at a polling station you need to arrive by 6:30am at the latest.

Polling station staff are not usually permitted to leave the premises between 7am and 10pm. You should take enough food and drink with you for the whole day.

It is a long day. You must be willing to work more hours than the working time directive limit.

The length of time a count takes depends on:

• the type of election
• how many people turn out to vote
• whether there needs to be a re-count

You will need to stay as long as it takes

The votes are usually counted and results announced at night after the polls close at 10pm. It could be that it takes until the following morning the day after the election.

Location

There are polling stations across Torbay. Please be aware you may need to travel anywhere in Torbay. We cannot guarantee you will be placed at a polling station close to where you live.

The election count usually takes place at the Riviera International Conference Centre, Torquay.

Who can apply

You must be at least 18 years old to work as a Presiding Officer or a Poll Clerk. You must be at least 16 years old to work as a Counting Assistant.

You must also be entitled to work in the UK under the provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2006. If successful, you must provide evidence, face to face, of your eligibility to work in the UK. You can do this by showing us either:

• your valid passport
• your birth certificate and proof of national insurance number (e.g. a P60, P45 or payslip, etc.)

You cannot work on behalf of a candidate during an election campaign. You must not be a relative of a candidate. If this is the case, please do not apply.

You will need to give your consent to work more than the normal working hours as advised by the working time directive.

It is important you remain politically impartial when you work at an election. You must not show your support for a particular political party or candidate in any way.

Ideal candidates

We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic staff.

To work at a polling station you will need:

• excellent customer service skills
• good attention to detail
• to follow strict procedures, including checking voter identification

To work at an election count, you should have good numeracy skills.

We expect anyone working at an election to be impartial. You need to be polite and professional in dealing with:

• all voters
• candidates and agents
• Electoral Commission representatives
• any accredited observers

Further details for each job role can be found on this page – link to Job Opportunities page

Number of jobs available

For scheduled May elections, we employ approximately 400 temporary staff.

For by-elections during the rest of the year, the number of staff needed varies. It depends on the type of election and the number of polling stations.

How we appoint staff

Appointments are temporary and made by the returning officer rather than the council. The council’s usual recruitment policies and procedures do not apply. We do follow the principles of equal opportunities and good employment practices.

We use our own staff in the first instance and supplement this with external staff.

We add anyone who is not given a role is to our reserve list. We will then make contact closer to election day if a role becomes available.

When we let you know if you have been successful

We will contact you email or letter. For 4 May 2023 polls, we will notify all successful applicants by mid-April. We do not notify unsuccessful applicants.

If you are not given a role, we will add you to our reserve list in case any staff drop out closer to polling day.

Please do not contact us to check receipt of your application.

Training

All polling staff must take part in training. Details of this will be in your appointment letter.

We brief count staff about what they need to do before the count begins.

Who you will work with

Experienced staff will be there to support you.

If you are working in a polling station, you will usually be working with two or three other staff.

If you are a count assistant, you will be part of a bigger team.

Pay rates

These vary depending on the role and type of poll. Where appropriate, we will pay fees for attending training and travel expenses.

We confirm amounts before polling day.

All fees are subject to tax on a PAYE basis but are exempt from National Insurance contributions.

The amount we pay for each role is regularly reviewed.

Impact on benefits/pension

You need to notify the relevant organisations or authorities of any paid election work you do. It may change the amount of benefits or state pension you receive.

How to vote if you are working at a polling station

If you are working at a polling station, you may want to apply for a postal or proxy vote.

More opportunities to work at elections

We are always looking to add people to our elections staff database. We must stress that being appointed to work at an election is not a guarantee of work at future elections. The work available depends on the number of applications and available vacancies. We also cannot guarantee that you will always work with the same people or in the same location.