Counting Votes and Catching Quirks: Behind the Scenes with UK’s Ballot Counters

"Unbelievable stories from the vote count: Insights from seasoned ballot counters"

Ever wondered about the experience of those assigned to quickly tally votes during a general election? Sky News interviewed five ballot counters who collectively have participated in over 100 elections to learn more.

Journalist @jos_franks

Sunday, June 30, 2024, 1:

As the clock strikes 10pm on July 4th, signaling the closure of polling stations, numerous ballot counters will be preparing themselves for potentially extended hours of work through the night.

Every ballot in the nation will undergo manual counting and verification.

What does it feel like to be someone responsible for ensuring democracy is upheld by the time the sun rises?

Sky News interviewed five election workers, who collectively have over a century of experience in over 100 elections, to gain insights.

The Newcastle-Sunderland urban legend

Ian Humphries is marking his 50th election with Newcastle City Council in the upcoming 2024 general election.

He can be spotted in the spacious sports facility at Northumbria University, merely another ordinary individual, focused on completing the tally "as efficiently and quickly as I can."

What his colleagues may not know is that he played a key role in advancing Newcastle's position from around 300th place to being the first council to announce its results during the Brexit referendum and subsequently in the 2017 and 2019 general elections.

The ex-elections official informed Sky News that the supposed competition between Newcastle and Sunderland to announce election results first is just an "urban myth." Sunderland was previously recognized for being the fastest to declare from 1992 until 2015.

He emphasizes that the priority is not simply speed, but rather enhancing "precision and productivity."

Nevertheless, strategies exist to achieve this. Relocating to a larger location was crucial, as the increased capacity allowed more individuals to rapidly handle several boxes each.

He suggests that completing the tally swiftly, before fatigue and carelessness take hold, can reduce the need for subsequent recounts.

"Ian asks, 'How precise can you be at 5am?'"

The effort to reduce time begins at the polling station, where workers are ready to quickly move the ballot boxes into the presiding officer's vehicle. The presiding officer is responsible for overseeing the polling station.

The container will be transported along the most effective path to the counting location, where a smooth process is ready to greet it at the entrance.

The vehicle arrives, an employee opens the door on the passenger side, takes the ballot box from the seat, shuts the door, and then the vehicle departs.

The package is given to a "runner" – typically a college student hired for an evening of physical work – who quickly takes it inside the building for verification.

The efficiency measures implemented allow for the commencement of counting shortly after 10pm, whereas before, counting could not begin until potentially 11pm due to the late arrival of all boxes.

The tallying method has been refined to ensure it is both precise and streamlined.

After confirming the total count of the voting slips, they are organized into separate stacks for each contender, which are subsequently tallied in groups of 50.

Each package includes a rubber band oriented vertically, allowing for a quick snap test.

The person counting swiftly flips through the stack of papers, checking if the same option has been selected on each one by observing the consistency in markings.

However, due to alterations in district lines this election season, Ian is not overly optimistic about Newcastle being the initial constituency to announce results.

"Anything could happen now," he remarks.

He expects the ambiance to be charged with excitement as the sports hall becomes crowded with vote counters, candidates, and their representatives.

"Ian notes that their thrill and feeling of risk is almost palpable."

On the day Chris truly proved his worth…

Since 1988, with the exception of one, Chris Hobbs has participated in every election, undertaking roles such as poll clerk, presiding officer, and counting assistant for the Tandridge District Council in Surrey.

During vote tallies that extended into the early morning hours, he witnessed all manners of inappropriate images and offensive language as voters deliberately defaced their ballots.

He mentions observing images of cat faces, large blocks of text justifying spoiled votes, and negative comments directed at specific candidates.

"The phrase 'Vote for clowns, get a f****** circus!' was especially entertaining at two in the morning."

He mentions that while the electorate often brings humor to the process, there's also a profound sense of being involved in something significant, observing democracy unfold in real time.

The Brexit vote was the most hectic election that Chris had ever managed, owing to the high turnout of voters.

He remarked that he truly "worked for his wages" that day, serving as the officer in charge at a voting station located in a rural pub's room.

"He mentions that it was a tough day, with individuals turning up to cast their votes and lingering afterwards for a few drinks."

"The atmosphere became quite boisterous as people, having had a few drinks, continued to return in an attempt to cast their votes.

"Encouraged by their fellow drinkers, every hour or so, the pub's dog was humorously 'slid' into the room from the bar, adorned with political rosettes, to everyone's amusement!"

In 1997, Thatcher and the lady who simply couldn't keep quiet

Andy Wragg continues to declare that each election will be his final one, yet he has participated in 41 so far, most of them with the Rushcliffe Borough Council in southern Nottinghamshire.

He first served as a presiding officer during the sweeping 1983 electoral win by Margaret Thatcher, marking his initial foray into general elections at the age of 22.

He has frequently reprised this role and has also served as a ballot counter.

He explained to Sky News that transporting all the ballot boxes from the polling stations to the counting location used to be more challenging before the era of ubiquitous mobile phones.

The preliminary step of verifying the votes, which involves tallying the ballots prior to the official counting, cannot commence until all ballot boxes have been collected.

In a notable event, an election official transporting a ballot box took a wrong turn and continued heading south. Eventually, authorities had to be sent out to locate her, as she ended up 50 miles away from her intended destination, according to Andy.

She was anticipated by 11pm, but she showed up quite sheepishly at about 1:30am.

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The 1997 election was a significant event to cover: "You could truly sense the momentum… It felt like something big was about to happen," Andy recalls.

He previously held a position at an exceptionally small polling location, a farm cottage situated in a remote area, temporarily converted to serve roughly 150 local voters for the day.

Andy mentions that the issue arose because the homeowner, who was acquainted with all the guests, couldn’t help but drop into the living room for a chat while votes were being cast.

They agreed on a solution where, after casting their votes, individuals were directed to the kitchen for tea and cake, and subsequently exited through the rear door.

"Incorporating cake into the voting process was unconventional, but it was necessary to keep everything moving smoothly," he explains.

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"You'd be amazed by the number of mistakes" – and they're all displayed publicly

As a fluent Welsh speaker among his colleagues at Cardiff Council, Cai Maxwell will be responsible for delivering updates during the vote tally, following a day spent overseeing polling stations.

He describes the atmosphere as "high intensity," noting that the tension is escalated by the vigilant oversight of the candidates' counting agents, who are keen to ensure all tallies are precise.

"They scrutinize every detail," he says.

He recalls an incident where he neglected to invert the ballot box to demonstrate that it was empty, which led to a formal grievance being filed with the electoral officer.

Cai finds particular delight in the spoiled ballots, especially given the way they are examined under a spotlight and camera, allowing for an enlarged image to be shown on a television screen.

"He mentions that the number of voters who draw inappropriate images on their ballots is surprisingly high."

"When you come across graffiti of that sort, it's amusing since it involves a very official process.

"Numerous individuals dressed in suits are involved in this procedure, scrutinizing the voting slips, and they all seem to be unanimously confirming that indeed, this one is invalid."

He mentions that operating behind the scenes offers a glimpse into the rigorous oversight of the counting process.

In addition to the vigilant oversight of counting agents, stringent measures are in place, including the use of tabs to seal the ballot boxes, a method Andy Wragg recalls previously involved using wax. This ensures that the boxes remain unopened during their transport from the polling stations to the counting centers.

"Many individuals hold it in high regard because, from our point of view, it's clear that it remains untouched and unalterable."

Confections, vote reviews, and attire regulations

Since 2008, Holly Hancocks has been involved in managing elections, consistently encountering many familiar faces annually.

"She remarks that it's often cheerful and amusing at the beginning," noting that staff members reconnect with colleagues they haven't encountered since the previous election.

"As the counting commences, there's a noticeable hush. The atmosphere is decidedly studious."

She has assumed multiple positions, serving at voting sites as both a poll clerk and presiding officer, and at the tally location as a runner, counting assistant, and count supervisor.

During the tally, an abundance of hard candies is typically present.

"Holly clarifies that anything that could contaminate the ballot papers is prohibited," she says, highlighting just one of the many regulations that employees must adhere to.

She states that their focus is on maintaining the integrity of the voting process and ensuring that the tallying is conducted impartially.

Explore further:

– A look back at unforgettable highlights from past election campaigns

– How political leaders are intensifying efforts as election day approaches

– Your guide to watching and tracking the election results on Sky News

Ballot slips should be kept facing upwards to conceal the number at the bottom, ensuring that the candidates can observe the voting selections.

Employees are required to dress in neutral tones to avoid the appearance of endorsing any specific political group.

Holly states, "You must set aside your personal political views. It's essential to remain entirely impartial, which can occasionally seem strange.

"Imagine a room with 100 counting assistants and someone is declared the winner… and you have 100 individuals in that room who are merely clapping courteously, without displaying any real enthusiasm."

She describes it as a strange contrast to the jubilant festivities of the victorious group.

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Holly, who has primarily been employed in Redditch, describes the area as a swing seat, adding an element of excitement to the work.

This could result in a lengthy night for those tallying the votes, especially if the results are tight and necessitate a recount.

Holly has witnessed local elections where the margin was just a single vote, prompting a complete recount, which she described as highly stressful.

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