The Returning Officer for Wyre is seeking expressions of interest from members of the public who wish to be part of a pool of casual election staff and considered for casual election related work with the Wyre area.
At every election the Returning Officer relies on dedicated additional staff to support the democratic process. Roles include:
- working in one of the numerous Polling Stations across the Borough as a Presiding Officer or Poll Clerk; or
- working as a Count Assistant sorting, verifying and counting the votes cast.
In addition to specific elections we also require assistance with the annual canvass.
Being accepted onto the Returning Officer's database does not guarantee that you will be offered a post, but you may be contacted about election specific roles as and when they arise.
Please note:
- Casual Election roles are employed directly by the Returning Officer and NOT Wyre Council. Therefore, the Council's employee terms and conditions do not apply, nor is there access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Election roles are paid on a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) basis, which means that tax may be deducted from earnings. If you are not a taxpayer you will be responsible for claiming the tax back from HMRC
- Any work that you do may affect any state pension or benefit that you receive. You will be responsible for telling your pension or benefit provider about your earnings
- Any work that you do may affect how much tax that you are required to pay. You will be responsible for telling HMRC about your earnings
Polling station staff ensure that voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere. If you are a good communicator, methodical and quick to learn, then apply to join the pool of Casual Elections Staff.
Anyone who has previously undertaken this work and recently updated their contact details with the Returning Officer do not need to submit a fresh declaration of interest.
The available election roles are:
Presiding Officers
Presiding Officers are responsible for the conduct of the ballot in the polling stations and must have a good knowledge of the voting procedure.
They are responsible for:
- Making sure that voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere.
- Presiding Officers have usually worked as a Poll Clerk at least twice before becoming a Presiding Officer, but training will be provided.
- You must be able to drive and your car insurance must include business cover.
- Hours of working would be 6.15am to 10.30pm on polling day. You will not be able to leave the polling station during these hours.All timings are estimates.
Poll Clerks
The role of poll clerk is to assist the Presiding Officer in the setting up and dismantling of the polling station.
You will also be responsible for:
- Checking and marking the electoral register and making sure that voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free from influence and in a calm atmosphere.
- Training will be provided.
- Hours of working would be 6.15am to 10.30pm on polling day. You will not be able to leave the polling station during these hours.
Verification and Counting Staff
The purpose of a verification and counting assistant is to open ballot boxes, make sure that the contents agree with the ballot paper accounts and then count the votes for each candidate in the election.
- You will be working as part of a supervised team.
- Hours of working would be either 10pm to 4am on polling day for an overnight count, or 10am to 4pm usually the day following polling day for a daytime count. All timings are estimates.
Rates of pay
The rates of pay for election staff varies depending on the job role and the type of election. The spinal column points are shown on each individual job description.
At election time
In the run-up to an election, we will write to all staff registered on our database and ask them about their availability. If you tell us that you are available, and you are appointed to a job at this election we will contact you with a Letter of Appointment which must be signed and returned by a deadline.
Please note that there is no guarantee that you will be employed at an election, and due to the increased workload during elections we will only contact you if you have been successfully appointed.
Canvassers
We have a legal obligation to canvass every residential property in Wyre to keep accurate electoral records. Canvassers help us to do this by visiting properties at the end of the summer, within a required timescale, to encourage a response to the canvass. The main duties include:
- Visiting properties within a specific area to deliver / complete registration forms.
- Drop off completed forms at regular intervals to the Elections Office.
- Maintaining worksheet records, as necessary.
- Attending necessary training covering all aspects of the duties.
For job descriptions for each of these roles click here
Register your interest
If you are interested in any of the above roles please complete our online form:
All applications for vacancies should be submitted using this form - we do not accept CVs.
This form will remain active until such time as there are sufficient numbers on our database.