Working with us at elections
Did you know we have over 700 paid positions available every time a national election takes place? Would you like to assist us in the election process by working in a polling station, or perhaps counting votes after the close of poll?
Herefordshire Council's Elections team are always looking for motivated and dynamic staff to express interest to work at elections. The extra support we receive ensures that the process is run smoothly, and in an open and transparent way.
All staff are appointed and employed by the Returning Officer not Herefordshire Council and as such the council's normal recruitment policies and procedures do not apply to these temporary posts.
The Returning Officer plays a central role in the democratic process and their role is to ensure that the conduct of an election is in accordance with the law, and their responsibility is one of a personal nature distinct from their duties as an employee of the council.
Requirements
We are looking for polite and professional individuals with the following competencies:
- Good communication skills
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Attention to detail and understanding the importance of accuracy
- Treating others impartially and with respect
- Ability to problem solve and use your own initiative
- Willingness to attend all training provided
In addition to the above, all election staff 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) and you must provide proof of right to work in the UK with the required evidence upon application
- Not work on behalf of a candidate during an election campaign, nor be related to a prospective candidate
- Polling and count staff must consent to working in excess of the normal working hours provided for by the working time directive
If you meet the above criteria and are interested in becoming involved, we would love to hear from you.
How to apply
You can express your interest using our online form.
Once you have submitted your information we will send you the relevant forms to complete.
Staff feedback
After every election we invite staff to feed back on their experience working with us. This could be what they think went well, what didn't go so well and what improvements could be made to better their experience. We take this feedback very seriously and use it as part of an evaluation plan to continuously improve how we run elections.
During the election period we also give our feedback to election staff. We monitor staff throughout the election period to ensure they are undertaking their role as expected and are following the correct procedures. If there are any errors made or we feel additional training may be required we will write to individuals after polling day to make them aware of this. We provide this constructive feedback to enable staff to do the job to the best of their ability in the future.