Working in a polling station
A polling station is set up for elections on each of the five inhabited islands. Temporary staff are employed for the day by the Returning Officer to run these polling stations. Polling hours are from 7am to 10pm.
Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks are appointed to run the polling stations and issue ballot papers to voters.
Where possible, we employ staff based on each island to run their local polling station.
In 2025-26:
• Presiding Officers will be paid £365 for the day plus £42 for attendance at a mandatory training session.
• Poll Clerks will be paid £269 for the day plus £42 for attendance at a mandatory training session.
Working at the count
Temporary staff are also employed by the Returning Officer to verify and count the votes.
Depending on how the process is being organised, this can involve night-time work (i.e. after the polls have closed at 10pm) and/or day-time work.
In 2025-26:
• Count staff will be paid a standard rate of £20 per hour for night-time work and £16 per hour for day-time work (with a guaranteed minimum of four hours’ pay for each session).
• When counting for multi-member vacancies, some Count staff will be paid an enhanced rate of £20 per hour for a day-time count (with a guaranteed minimum of four hours’ pay for the session) to act as Accountants.
Eligibility
To work in a polling station or at the count:
• you must be at least 18 years old;
• you must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom; and
• you must not have been employed by or on behalf of a candidate in or about the election.
Register your interest in elections work
Would you like to be added to our elections staff database to be considered for work at election time? If so, please email us at elections@scilly.gov.uk or write to us at the Elections Office, Council of the Isles of Scilly, Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0NA.
Please note we cannot guarantee a position for you. When we are allocating staff for elections, if we can offer you a position, we will contact you.
Privacy statement for elections staff database
Your details will only be held in the elections staff database with your consent. You can update your details and preferences, or withdraw your consent at any time, by contacting the Elections Office.
We may need to share information from the elections staff database with our HR team and our payroll service for the purpose of administering your employment within the electoral process. We may also need to share your information when required to do so by law. This may be for the prevention and detection of crime and disorder, including fraud.
We will process your personal data in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation. We will retain your data until you advise us you are no longer interested in working at elections or we are unable to contact you.
The Returning Officer is the data controller: Russell Ashman, Council of the Isles of Scilly, Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0NA, 01720 424545. For further information, please refer to our privacy notice at www.scilly.gov.uk/elections.
