Working at a voting centre

uck51js9zml2yt

I got a position in a polling centre for next weeks elections.
Does anyone know what to expect bar the boredom.

Do we get breaks? Can I leave the centre? Is there tea and coffee provided?

thanks

kevohmsford

I would bring tea and coffee with you and a kettle just in case there is none provided.
You cannot leave the polling centre for the day. It is a long boring day alright. Plenty of reading material required.

Dymo

Lia Flabby Grail wrote: »

I got a position in a polling centre for next weeks elections.
Does anyone know what to expect bar the boredom.

Do we get breaks? Can I leave the centre? Is there tea and coffee provided?

thanks

No there are no break's, but you can go to the toilet.

No you are not allowed to leave the center, or you desk.

Depends on the center but there is no free tea or coffee provided.

Things to do, bring enough food for the day and a kettle if you want to make tea.

You are allowed a book but don't be reading it when people enter the booth. Voters are always complaining about people at the desk's, because they want your job.

Be there at about 6:30-6:45 am to get the room ready, putting up posters etc. The day does not end until 10pm and all the paper work is done.

Then wait, I think it was about 6 weeks to get paid last time.

uck51js9zml2yt

Dymo wrote: »

No there are no break's, but you can go to the toilet.

No you are not allowed to leave the center, or you desk.

Depends on the center but there is no free tea or coffee provided.

Things to do, bring enough food for the day and a kettle if you want to make tea.

You are allowed a book but don't be reading it when people enter the booth. Voters are always complaining about people at the desk's, because they want your job.

Be there at about 6:30-6:45 am to get the room ready, putting up posters etc. The day does not end until 10pm and all the paper work is done.

Then wait, I think it was about 6 weeks to get paid last time.

Sounds inhumane that you don't get a break. What happened to working hours legislation?

Thankfully the count centres aren't as bad, we even get dinner:). I've done a few referendums and got a call this evening to work at the RDS on Sunday for the count. Looking forward to having some extra cash.

Scoobydooo

Always wondered, how do you go about applying for these polling jobs?

uck51js9zml2yt

Scoobydooo wrote: »

Always wondered, how do you go about applying for these polling jobs?

Just email your local returning officer when you hear about an election.
Supply your Name address telephone and pps. If your not working say so.
Then you just wait.

vandriver

What's the pay for the almost 16 hr day?

uck51js9zml2yt

Not sure yet. Dept of finance needs to agree it.

uck51js9zml2yt

Rather than open up a new thread.

Its that time of year again for the County Sherriffs Office to be calling people to work at the upcoming Referendum

I got a call today for Dublin to work on the count.

Did anyone else get a call?

Dymo

Counts are hard to get into, there nearly always tied up with county council workers. Much better than being stuck in a booth for 16+hours

uck51js9zml2yt

Dymo wrote: »

Counts are hard to get into, there nearly always tied up with county council workers. Much better than being stuck in a booth for 16+hours

I've been doing counts for the last 4 years and am not a council worker.
There are new people all the time. They also need people who know what they're doing.
Granted there are also a lot of council workers.
I did the EU elections last year and it certainly wasn't cushy starting at 8am and going home at 5 am next morning.

CFG92

Lia Flabby Grail wrote: »

I've been doing counts for the last 4 years and am not a council worker.
There are new people all the time. They also need people who know what they're doing.
Granted there are also a lot of council workers.
I did the EU elections last year and it certainly wasn't cushy starting at 8am and going home at 5 am next morning.

Just wondering how did you go about applying for this role?

If one were to do this job, would there be any way their existing employer could find out? In other words, if you work more than one job in a year, can one of your employer's find that out via tax calculations or something else?

Lia Flabby Grail

Lia Flabby Grail wrote: »

I've been doing counts for the last 4 years and am not a council worker.
There are new people all the time. They also need people who know what they're doing.
Granted there are also a lot of council workers.
I did the EU elections last year and it certainly wasn't cushy starting at 8am and going home at 5 am next morning.

What's the money like for the Count? I came out with €370 after all the deductions for being presiding officer in a polling centre (7.30am - c. 10.30pm) €370/15 = €24.66 per hour.

uck51js9zml2yt

Cant remember off hand. I did both days last year and came out with about 650.
Referenda tend to have a low turnout which results in less votes to be counted and so an earlier finish but we still get paid for the day.

Much easier counting yes/no than preference votes.

To apply, you email the city sheriff when the event is announced by the government. Tel them the position you want and provide name address, phone number and PPS.

Dymo

Lia Flabby Grail wrote: »

I've been doing counts for the last 4 years and am not a council worker.
There are new people all the time. They also need people who know what they're doing.
Granted there are also a lot of council workers.
I did the EU elections last year and it certainly wasn't cushy starting at 8am and going home at 5 am next morning.

I did the count last year in Cork and although long days, I prefer it than doing the booth job which I also did in the past. I'm not a county council worker either but nearly everyone I met was a) a county council worker or b) a person who works in the courts.