Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Senedd election

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Appointing verification and count staff

To ensure that voters can have confidence that their votes will be counted in the way they intended, you will need to put in place appropriate staff resources to ensure that the verification and count are timely. The decision on when to commence verification may have staffing implications, and you will need to plan accordingly.

In the case of a constituency that covers more than one local authority, the verifying and counting of votes may be at a constituency or local authority level. Either option will require agreement and co-ordination between you and your appointed deputies. Where the verification and or the count takes place at a local authority level the staff may be identified and provided by appointed deputies from the other local authorities as appropriate.

It is important you ensure there are the right number of competent, skilled and knowledgeable staff – and that each member of staff is clear about their role – so that the count is run efficiently and effectively and according to the principles for an effective verification and count. You should also ensure there is an appropriate number of reserve staff in case of staff absence on the day of the count.

You should consider appointing:

  • senior staff to assist with the overall operation and co-ordination of processes and the calculation of the result
  • staff and supervisors to deal with the secure transportation of the sealed boxes of postal ballot papers to the verification venue(s)
  • staff and supervisors to deal with the receipt of polling station materials and postal votes
  • staff and supervisors to deal with the final opening(s) of postal votes
  • staff and supervisors to deal with the verification of used and unused ballot papers, spoilt ballot papers and the tendered votes list
  • staff and supervisors to deal with the sorting and counting of votes
  • porters, security staff and door attendants to deal with the security of the site(s)
  • person(s) with knowledge of the site to deal with the management of the facilities within and around the site(s)
  • responsible officer(s) to oversee the security of ballot boxes and relevant stationery where there is a break in proceedings or where ballot papers need to be packaged up and delivered to another venue at the end of verification
  • experienced media liaison staff
  • any other members of staff you consider necessary

While it may not be realistic to expect all verification and count staff to be fully utilised at every stage of the verification and count process, a responsive management plan which monitors activity levels and allows for reallocation of resources could reduce the length of time taken to complete key stages of the process.

For processes commenced immediately following the close of poll, you should, wherever possible, not use staff who have been on polling duty all day.

You must not appoint any person who has been employed by or on behalf of a candidate or a political party in or about the election.1

Staffing requirements for the collation of the results and the allocation of seats will also need to be identified and the necessary appointments made. In order to effectively manage the results collation process, a protocol should be put in place as necessary for the communication of information required for the results calculation. This protocol will, in turn, inform your staffing requirements.

Last updated: 18 November 2025