Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Polling station voting

This part of the guidance focuses on the preparations you will need to make in advance of polling day and some of the issues that you, as RO, may need to consider on the day.

It covers what equipment and materials you will need to provide for polling stations, information on polling station set-up and managing the close of poll.

As part of your planning, you will have considered any known risks to specific polling stations in your area and made arrangements with the Presiding Officer (PO) and police as appropriate. Guidance for how POs deal with specific issues in the polling station are covered in the polling station handbook.

Our polling station handbook also covers in detail the voting procedures and what polling station staff can expect on polling day. 

 

You can find our guidance on the identification of suitable polling stations in our section on booking suitable polling stations.  

Local Authority mayoral elections

We have produced an insert for the polling station handbook to make it relevant to local authority mayoral elections. 

 

We have produced a polling station handbook for standalone Combined authority/combined county authority mayoral elections, as well as a polling station handbook for Combined authority/combined county authority mayoral elections combined with local government elections. 

 

Last updated: 11 November 2024