Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England

Polling day dos and don’ts

You should:

  • make sure that any tellers working for you follow our tellers’ dos and don’ts and any guidance issued by the Returning Officer.

  • make sure your campaigners follow the Code of conduct for campaigners in Great Britain which sets out what is, and is not, considered acceptable behaviour at polling stations and in the community.
  • make sure you follow any additional security advice provided by the RO
  • comply with requests by polling station staff or the Returning Officer about campaigning near polling stations. You should, however, be allowed to put your message to voters on polling day, including in public spaces outside polling places.
  • make sure that any agents who are attending polling stations, postal vote opening sessions or the count understand the rules about the secrecy of the ballot. For more information, see our documents setting out the secrecy requirements for the poll, postal voting and the count.

You must not:

  • campaign near polling stations in a way that could be seen by voters as aggressive or intimidating (for example, large groups of supporters carrying banners, or vehicles with loudspeakers or heavily branded with campaign material).
  • breach the requirements on secrecy of the ballot.1 This is an essential part of any modern democracy and breaches are taken seriously.
  • seek to identify and publicise how votes have been marked on individual ballot papers, particularly if you (or your agents) attend postal vote opening sessions.
  • publish exit polls or any other data based on information given by people about how they voted after they have cast their vote, including a postal vote, before the close of poll2
Last updated: 29 November 2024