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

Estimating the number of ballot papers

Understanding the number of ballot papers that will need to be dealt with is a crucial factor in your planning, and will help determine the resources that you need for the verification and count. 

You need to think about the estimated:

  • size of the electorate
  • number of used and unused ballot papers
  • number of returned postal ballot papers
  • number of doubtful ballot papers to be adjudicated

Electorate

You will be able to estimate the eligible electorate by using the figure after publication of the revised register as a baseline, but accounting for likely increases in registration ahead of the polls. 

An analysis of the increases in the electorate ahead of the last scheduled polls can provide you with an idea of the percentage increase in electorate you can expect at the polls. 

You should also factor in any increases that may result from registration activity that EROs will be carrying out. You should be able to keep that estimate under review by monitoring the monthly updates to the register.

If you are not also the ERO, you will need to liaise with the relevant ERO to obtain the registration data. Similarly, if you are an (A)RO in a cross-boundary constituency you will need to liaise with the EROs across the constituency to obtain the relevant data.

Used and unused polling station ballot papers

You will be able to develop an estimate of the number of used ballot papers you may have to process from polling stations by multiplying the estimated electorate by the expected turnout. You can then identify the volume of unused papers that will also need to be verified, as set out in the following example table:

Eligible electorate (polling station voters)Expected Turnout (e.g.69.1%)Number of unused ballot papers (e.g. 30.9%)
68,17547,108 21,067

The above calculation will give you a robust estimate of the number of polling station ballot papers you will need to manage at the verification and count, but you should build in some contingency to ensure you are prepared to deal with a greater than expected turnout and/or electorate.

Whilst the number of tendered ballot papers to verify will likely be relatively small, you should also consider the number of tendered ballot papers you will need to manage and plan on how you will do this. 

Volume and management of returned postal votes

The publication of the revised register will provide a baseline for the number of postal voters in your area, and you should consider the percentage increase ahead of previous similar polls too. You should also factor in any registration activity being carried out by EROs ahead of the poll.  

Regular monitoring of the absent voting list will allow you to keep your estimate under review. In cross-boundary constituencies you will need to liaise with the ROs across the constituency to ensure your estimates for the whole of the constituency are robust.

Using your assumption on postal voter turnout for the electoral area, you can then calculate the total number of postal ballot papers you might have to process. You can then keep this under review by monitoring the progress of postal vote returns in the period leading up to polling day and include an analysis of the pattern of postal vote returns from previous equivalent polls in your planning. 

Planning for processing postal votes handed in on polling day

The time taken to verify postal votes handed in at polling stations can lead to delays at the verification and count. You will need to plan how you will ensure that there are no delays due to awaiting the arrival and processing of the last postal votes. Regular collections of postal votes during the day should help to minimise any delay.

You need to decide on the arrangements to enable the efficient verification of returned postal voting statements after the close of poll including whether: 

  • postal vote identifier checks will take place at the verification venue or elsewhere? If the process takes place at the verification venue this is likely to be more convenient for candidates and agents to observe and it will be more straightforward from a transportation point of view, but there are risks involved in moving an established operation and equipment to a different venue.
  • equipment needs to be moved or additional equipment needs to be put in place to facilitate verification? If so, you should ensure that it is tested in advance
  • you have the appropriate staffing levels to ensure any delay in verifying the final postal votes is minimised?

You will need to decide how to manage the verification of identifiers on returned postal votes where you are not also the ERO or where, as a result of the relevant electoral area crossing boundaries, more than one ERO will hold the personal identifiers record containing the specimen signatures and dates of birth for some of the electorate.  

You will need to ensure that your plans for the checking of personal identifiers on returned postal voting statements received on polling day does not lead to a delay at the verification and count.

Managing doubtful ballot papers

The number of doubtful ballot papers that may require adjudication because the voter has not marked the ballot paper in accordance with the instructions will also affect the resources that might be required at the verification and count. By analysing the results of previous comparable elections you should be able to estimate how many doubtful ballot papers you may need to process at the count. 

Last updated: 14 May 2024