Working at elections

Elections are a great opportunity to work as part of a team and take a sense of pride in playing a role in supporting democracy; plus it is a fantastic way to earn money.

Working at a polling station

The Presiding Officer has the overall responsibility for the polling station and carries out a supervisory role. The Poll Clerk assists the Presiding Officer to conduct the ballot.

On election day, staff are required to arrive at the polling station by 6.15am to set up. Staff are not permitted to leave the premises during polling hours in order to maintain the secrecy of the vote. The poll closes at 10pm.

All polling staff must complete an online training session before polling day. In addition, Presiding Officers will need to attend a 30-minute briefing and be able to transport the ballot boxes to and from the polling station.

Available roles

Presiding Officer   Presiding Officer job description 2025 [563KB]
Poll Clerk  Poll Clerk job description 2025 [485KB]

Working at the count 

The Count Assistant counts the number of votes cast at the polling station together with any postal votes. Counts can take place either immediately after the close of poll overnight or on the following days. 

There is no fixed time for how long a count will take, as it depends if re-counts are needed. 

Available roles 

Verification/Count Assistant  Verification/Count Assistant job description [483KB]

Eligibility 

To work for the election team, you must:

• be at least 18 years old
• be entitled to work in the UK
• not work on behalf of a candidate during the election campaign 
• consent to working more than normal working hours outlined in the 'Working Time Directive'
• comply with secrecy requirements which will be supplied to all staff

How to apply

Please read the job descriptions we have available. If you would like to be considered for one of these positions, please email electionstaff@westberks.gov.uk.