Close of poll
It’s a long day, and you’ve successfully made it to 10pm – well done and thank you!
Before you lock up, go home and enjoy a well-deserved rest, there are still a few jobs left to do.
We suggest that you start thinking about tidying up equipment that you don't need and even some of your booths (if you aren't too busy) at around 9:30pm.
If you have anyone in the queue to vote at 10pm, you must allow them to vote, anyone who joins the queue after this time should be turned away.
Once anyone that was in the queue has voted, the Presiding Officer should seal the lid of the ballot box so that no more ballot papers can be put inside.
We know that you will all be keen to get home, but we would appreciate it if you could work together to pack away the polling station neatly and quickly so that the venue is left tidy. We will organise the collection of the large polling equipment.
Please follow the packing away guide provided in the supplementary information booklet when packing up the polling station. Ensuring that the main paperwork is kept separate to hand to staff at the count, alongside the ballot box:
- Handed in postal votes
- Ballot paper account
- Register
- Red sack containing unused and spoilt ballot papers
Large equipment
Take down any booths and signage and return it to where you collected it at the start of the day for it to be picked up by our deliveries team. Make sure all heavy equipment is moved in pairs.
If the above equipment is not packed away properly it will cause delays when the presiding officer drops the ballot box off at the count.
At 10pm, the presiding officer should complete the last bits of the polling station paperwork that they have been reviewing throughout the day.
VIDEF
The VIDEF can be found in the supplementary information booklet. Using the tally that you have completed throughout the day, you should total the number of people that were turned away for not having ID, who used specific types of ID as directed by the form. You can view the form on our Voter ID page.
Ballot paper accounts
You should complete your ballot paper account in the yellow envelope carefully as this will tell us how many ballot papers are in the ballot box and will be the figure we are working towards checking at the count.
The form helps you calculate the number of ballot papers issued by using the next ballot paper to be issued.
Make sure you fill it all in, even if you don't have any tendered or spoilt ballot papers to log.
If you are in a polling station for both Essex County council and the Chelmsford City council elections, you will need to complete a ballot paper account for each election.
If anything unusual has happened at the polling station that may affect the total ballot papers, please make a note of this on your ballot paper account. For example, if a voter left with their ballot paper.
Declaration
The presiding officer should complete the declaration at the end of the supplementary information booklet to confirm that all of the information provided is a correct reflection of incidents and events at the polling station throughout the day.
Before you leave the polling station, please make sure that you have left it clean and tidy.
Please do not put any food waste or perishables in the bin bag that you are returning to us as we have to empty these after the election. Instead, dispose of this in the bins on site or take it home with you.
If the venue manager is coming to lock up the polling station at the close of poll, then a member of staff should wait for them to arrive.
If you are responsible for locking up the polling station yourselves, please make sure that you follow all of the agreed processes agreed between the presiding officer and venue manager e.g. alarm systems.
As soon as you are packed away and ready to leave the polling station, please return the ballot box and completed paperwork to us so that we can get ready for the count.
Chelmsford City Council
Civic Centre
Duke Street
Chelmsford
CM1 1JE