Working for us at an election

We have a variety of roles available with opportunities to work on polling day, at the verification and count, as well as others.

We’re always looking to recruit polling station staff to work across North Somerset. Available polling day roles, duties and rates of pay can be found in our job descriptions.

After the poll closes, we begin the process of counting the votes. This is done in two stages: the verification and the count. The verification involves checking that the correct number of ballot papers which have been distributed in the polling stations and by post matches what we have received back. Once this has been done, we can then move onto the count where ballot papers are sorted into piles by candidate to determine the result.

Staff are also required to help with issuing and opening of the postal votes.

During October and November, we employ canvassers to assist with the annual review of electoral registration. This is also known as the annual canvass. 

Their main role is to visit properties within North Somerset and try to get a response from residents about who can register to vote there. 

• you must be at least 18 years of age to work at a polling station or count centre
• you will need to provide your national insurance number, and your relevant supporting information which confirms you are entitled to work in the UK
• polling and count staff must not work on behalf of a candidate or political party during an election campaign, and must not be related to a prospective candidate

All rates of pay for each of the roles are included on the relevant job description.

If you are interested in any of these roles, you can register your interest using our online form below, or contact us at electoral.staffing@n-somerset.gov.uk. Please include your full name, address, relevant experience, and the roles you would be interested in.

If you’ve recently worked for the North Somerset Council elections team, you do not need to contact us again. Keep an eye on your emails as we will send out offers of employment in the build up to an election.