Anyone can be appointed as a polling agent, provided that they are not:
the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) or a member of their staff
a partner or clerk of the CEO or a member of their staff
anyone not entitled to vote at the election as a result of the report of an election court or a conviction for a corrupt or illegal practice under the Representation of the People Act 1983
Both you and your election agent can also automatically act as one of those agents without the need of an official appointment.1
You can appoint any number of polling agents to attend each polling station, but only one polling agent for each candidate can be present in a polling station at any time.2
A polling agent can be appointed to attend multiple polling stations. Your right to attend will remain unaffected by this.
Polling agents must be appointed by not later than the fifth working day before the poll.3
The request to appoint polling agents must be made in writing to the Chief Electoral Officer.4
It must contain the names and addresses of the people being appointed. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland will provide the relevant forms for this, or you can find polling agent appointment forms on the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website.
If an agent dies or becomes incapable of acting, you may appoint another agent in their place by submitting the relevant appointment form to the Chief Electoral Officer.5
Any new appointment in these circumstances must be made without delay.