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Up to date fifteenth April 2024

The native elections will probably be held on Thursday 2nd Could 2024. Many individuals don’t realise that native elections are greater than an opportunity to solid your vote — they’re a possibility to generate income!

While you vote in any election, you’ll have seen the ballot clerks overseeing every thing.

Nevertheless, have you ever ever thought-about making a bit of additional money as a ballot clerk your self? Are you able to make your self free for the entire day?

In that case, you possibly can earn round £250 for a day’s work in a polling station. It’s a fast and simple money-making thought and splendid if you’re retired or a scholar.

Who Can Develop into a Ballot Clerk?

Anybody is eligible to behave as a ballot clerk, offering they’re over 18, literate and numerate and never have labored for a candidate standing within the present election. You need to even have the right to worokay within the UK. There are some issues it’s essential to declare in your utility kind too, together with whether or not you’re a member of a political get together, you’re an energetic campaigner within the elections, and in case you’re an in depth relative of a present candidate. This will not go in opposition to your utility possibilities, nevertheless it have to be declared.

The one different requirement is that candidates have to be on the electoral roll – in case you’re not, you actually ought to be. Not being on the electoral roll can damage your credit rating!

In the event you’re not on the electoral roll you possibly can register to vote on the Government’s official website. You can even discover your native Electoral Registration Workplace by clicking here. Alternatively, give your native authority a name. 

What’s Concerned?

As a ballot clerk, you’re there to set-up the polling station and ensure correct procedure is adopted all through the day, together with after voting closes.

Your duties embody checking individuals are eligible to vote, checking and marking electoral numbers, stamping and issuing poll papers, and, crucially, guaranteeing that votes are solid in secret and put into the poll field. For the primary time ever, all in-person voting requires photographic ID in any respect polling stations within the UK for Parliamentary elections – so that you’ll have to have an excellent eye for faces, since you’ll be checking voters’ IDs to substantiate their id.

You reply to the  Presiding Officer, who’s the official in control of a polling station.

It’s an extended day, normally from early morning (normally 6am) until a minimum of 11pm when the voting finishes.

You can even apply to assist rely the poll papers within the night, however remember that that is, as you possibly can in all probability think about, fairly frantic work. You’ll want to have the ability to work properly beneath strain and in addition focus in busy environments.

For extra info on the duties of a ballot clerk, and the necessities to turn into one, look on the Handbook for Polling Station Staff here.

How A lot Can I Make?

To learn the way a lot your native council pays, merely go to their web site and search ‘ballot clerk’. For a listing of native authorities in England and Wales, click here.

It’s additionally price making an allowance for that you probably have labored at a polling station on a minimum of two different events, you possibly can apply to turn into a Presiding Officer, which implies more cash! (For instance, a Presiding Officer in Herefordshire makes over £350 whereas in Merton, London, it is £430. 

There are different roles accessible which can not require you to be accessible for the total day. Bristol Council has some great videos and leaflets describing the completely different job roles and expectations.

How Do I Apply?

Normally, ballot clerks have labored for his or her native council, however this expertise isn’t a prerequisite. Most councils and native authorities have info on tips on how to turn into a ballot clerk on their web site. Both go to their web site and search ‘ballot clerk’, or just Google ‘turn into a ballot clerk’ adopted by your city, metropolis, or council. For a listing of council web sites, click here. 

Alternatively, you possibly can name your native authority and ask for the Elections and Registration Workplace, or ship them an electronic mail telling them that you simply’re . They’ll ship you a kind in the event that they want clerks. Don’t depart it till per week earlier than an election to use as a result of the positions will in all probability already be stuffed – it’s higher to use sooner somewhat than later.

Some native authorities recruit all 12 months spherical so you possibly can hold making use of and be placed on a ready checklist for the following election.

In case you are chosen as a ballot clerk you’ll attend a coaching/briefing session after which be sworn within the day earlier than the election.

On Election Day, a Presiding Officer oversees the entire station and can supervise and instruct you.

Have you ever ever made cash as a polling clerk? Do you will have another good cash making concepts? Tell us within the feedback part beneath – we love to listen to from you!