Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Greater London Authority (GLA) election

Polling station notices

The GLRO is required to provide you with notices for the guidance of voters.

The notice entitled ‘How to vote at these elections’ must be displayed outside and inside each polling station.  

The ‘instruction for voters’ notice is required to be displayed inside every polling station and in every polling booth.1  

The contents and format of the notices are prescribed in the election rules and cover information relating to all three contests, but each notice may if you decide include alternative information relating to the GLA elections as long as it conforms with the legislative requirements for notices.

The GLRO may also provide versions of these notices in alternative languages or formats and, if you agree, these may also be displayed inside and outside the polling station.2

For the London-wide Assembly Member contest, a notice showing the names of the candidates who appear on the list of each party, followed by the names of the individual regional candidates in the format given on the statement of persons and parties nominated, and in the order in which they appear on that statement, will be provided by London Elects.

You must also display a large notice inside each polling station which contains details of the documents the voter needs to produce when applying for a ballot paper:3

• in the case of an elector (other than a person registered anonymously) or a proxy, the forms of acceptable photographic ID  as prescribed in legislation
• in the case of an elector registered anonymously, the elector's official poll card with an anonymous elector's document showing the same electoral number as shown on the official poll card

A statement should also be provided on the notice that further proof of identity may be required to resolve any discrepancy between the name of the voter on the electoral register and the name on the photographic ID  that has been provided.4  

Use of English in polling stations

When you brief polling station staff, you should make clear that only English should be used when assisting or giving instructions to electors in polling stations. This ensures transparency in proceedings, and enables any observers or polling agents present in the polling station to monitor the voting process. 

Some voters may need assistance in another language because of their limited English language skills. You should consider what support you are able to provide to those voters in your area, such as providing translations of the polling station notices. 

In some exceptional cases the translated notices may not be sufficient or appropriate. For example, a voter may have low levels of literacy or may have a question that falls outside of what is covered by the notices. In those circumstances, polling station staff may provide assistance in a language other than English if they can. 

Where assistance is given in another language, polling station staff should explain to other staff and any polling agents or observers present what question has been asked and the response given. 

You should remind polling station staff to contact you (or ERO if applicable) if they have any queries from electors that they are unable to deal with.