| Product: |
My Experiences and Advice |
| Date: |
18/03/02 (54 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Can be good fun, Interesting, A bit of extra cash
Disadvantages: Can be very boring!
I have to admit before I start this opinion I have never been very interested in politics either at a local or national level and this has actually been to my financial advantage.
How can that be I hear you all ask - I did hear you all ask didn't I? Oh, please yourselves then, but I'm going to tell you anyway!
I have worked for Walsall MBC for almost 30 years until I had to leave due to continued ill health and during that time I have taken the opportunity to earn some extra cash helping out at various council run events. I have handed out prize money at the Chasewater Dog Show, taken admission money at the Arboretum Illuminations and worked as a Poll Clerk at the elections. It's this last one that I want to tell you about in this opinion.
Incidentally the reason that my lack of interest in politics is relevant is the fact that no one who works for any political party in the elections can work for the council at the Polling Station. This is so that there is no risk of undue influence being put on the voters.
What sorts of elections are there?
The three elections that I have helped with are Local Elections, which run from 8am to 9pm, General Elections, which run from 7am to 10pm, and European Elections, which also run from 7am to 10pm.
Where are the Polling Stations?
These are usually in schools so there are facilities on hand for us such as toilets and washing facilities and a kettle in the staff room so that we can make ourselves a cup of tea!
Who are the officials at the Polling Station?
There is always a Presiding Officer and one, two or sometimes even three Poll Clerks. There is also a member of the local constabulary who covers three or four Polling Stations and pops in on a regular basis throughout the day to make sure that all is well. It is the Presiding Officer's job to take charge of the election procedure. It is he or she who is responsible for making sure the votes are cas
t in secret and that there is no outside interference with anyone or their ballot paper. In fact in the Polling Station the Presiding Officer even has authority over any Police personnel that may be on duty there.
So why don't you be a Presiding Officer then?
Well the Presiding Officer is also responsible for getting the Ballot Box back to the Town Hall ready for the count in the evening and as I don't drive I would be relying on someone else for transport and I would be panicking all day in case I didn't get the box back in time! Silly I know but there it is, so I stick to being a Poll Clerk!
So what does the Poll Clerk do then?
All the officials have to be at the Polling Station about half an hour before the election begins to set everything up ready to open the polling at exactly the right time.
There will be polling booths provided which must be set up if this has not already been done. Each booth must have a Notice of the Poll pinned inside and a pencil for the marking of the Ballot Papers.
There are lots of different notices, which have to be pinned up both inside and outside the Polling Station so that people know exactly where to go, and what to do.
Once the election begins the Poll Clerk then assists the Presiding Officer to do the following:
1. Check every voter who comes to vote is eligible to do so.
2. Cross them off the list provided as having voted.
3. Give them a voting slip with the appropriate mark punched through it for validity.
4. Make sure that they place the Ballot Slip into the Ballot Box after they have made their mark upon it.
We also have to make sure that the notices remain in place and don't blow away or get torn down for any reason. The pencils in the Ballot Boxes also have to be kept sharpened.
What happens when the election is over?
The Poll Clerk helps to tidy up by removing the notices and the pencils and placing them back in the box to be returned
to the Town Hall, and generally doing anything to help the Presiding Officer and the sealed Ballot Box get away from the Polling Station quickly.
Does the Poll Clerk count the votes?
In some cases yes we do. The Presiding Officer must attend the count but the Poll Clerk has the choice of whether to go or not. I like to go back to the Town Hall and help with the counting of the votes as it completes the day for me to see whom the eventual victor is. It is also nice to catch up with people whom I rarely see since I had to leave work too!
Do you get paid for doing this?
Well I certainly wouldn?t be public spirited enough to do it for free that's for sure! I worked on the General Election last year and received £80 for the 13-hour day plus a further £30 for the count and I arrived home at about 2am the following morning! This year I am working on the Local Election and will get £58.04 for my 11-hour day and a further £23.41 for the count and I expect to arrive home at about 11pm. The amounts quoted are gross, as I don?t earn enough to pay tax. The Presiding Officer would be paid considerably more than the Poll Clerk, as it is he or she who takes the ultimate responsibility for the Polling Station and the people and votes cast therein.
Ah, but do you enjoy the day?
Well it can be quite boring as you often get long period of time where no one comes in to vote, but the trick is to take a few magazines, a good book, some knitting etc., and the time passes quite quickly. The other officials are there as well so you can have a good natter and catch up on gossip. I have been working on elections now for many years and I have never had to spend the day with someone that I couldn't get on with. We have to take plenty of stuff to eat and drink too as once the election begins we are not allowed to leave the Polling Station under any circumstances. Obviously we can leave the room to go to the toilet but we can't pop over to the sh
op for example.
So when you go to vote on May 2nd this year you'll know what the officials are there for and how much they are getting paid to do it!!!
Summary:
|
|
