Guidance for (Acting) Returning Officers administering a UK Parliamentary election in Great Britain

There are several things that you can think about at an early stage to help estimate the timings of each stage of your verification and count. This should include:

• the number of staff and any staffing formulas you have in place e.g. number of ballot papers counted per hour per count assistant 
• whether you have a stand-alone election or combination of polls
• the number of ballot papers that were processed at a previous equivalent election
• the methodology used at previous elections e.g. mini-counts 
• the timings at previous equivalent elections for completion of the various stages of the verification and count

You should share these timings with stakeholders together with the assumptions that underpin them. However, you should also warn stakeholders that these timings are indicative only and may change on the night - for example, if turnout was significantly higher or lower than expected.

Some stakeholders may hold expectations as to how quickly the processes can be completed which cannot be met in practice and this can lead to tension and frustration at the verification and count. To manage expectations, you should explain in some detail the processes involved, how long each stage is likely to take and the resources you have put in place.