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Vote counting: the ultimate gravy train

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Comments

  • #32
    FrStone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 720 ✭✭✭FrStone


    Maid of the Mist wrote: »
    For the last 20 years that I've been voting, it has always been the same bug-eyed faces working at the polling stations on election day...bored housewives, the children of the local gombeen, and the neighbourhood busybodies who weasel themselves onto every community committee.

    Nobody else even gets a look-in for these jobs. The positions are filled even before they're announced. Hundreds of thousands unemployed in this country and it's still the well-connected with their snouts in the trough. Nice wages if you can get them.

    There is open competition for these jobs. Your obviously too lazy to look. http://www.dublincityreturningofficer.com/

    Those on the dole wouldn't come off it for one day work, they also would probably be the first harping on about their rights when they have to work for 16.5 hours.


  • #33
    Chucken
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,459 ✭✭✭Chucken


    FrStone wrote: »
    There is open competition for these jobs. Your obviously too lazy to look. http://www.dublincityreturningofficer.com/

    Those on the dole wouldn't come off it for one day work, they also would probably be the first harping on about their rights when they have to work for 16.5 hours.

    What kind of sh1te talk is that?


  • #34
    FrStone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 720 ✭✭✭FrStone


    Chucken wrote: »
    What kind of sh1te talk is that?

    Well I've often told friends of mine on the dole to apply for the job. I'm always met with the same response "Sure I couldn't come off the dole for one days work - too much hassle".


  • #35
    Muise...
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,512 ✭✭✭Muise...


    FrStone wrote: »
    There is open competition for these jobs. Your obviously too lazy to look. http://www.dublincityreturningofficer.com/

    Those on the dole wouldn't come off it for one day work, they also would probably be the first harping on about their rights when they have to work for 16.5 hours.

    Agree with your first point.

    Your second, ahem - I was on the dole when I applied. I don't think you considered how fcuking soul-destroying it is to be unemployed. You feel like you are no use to anyone. A day at the polling station would have been well worth the paperwork of signing off and on again as it would have been work, and work as directly contributing to society as can be.

    I still don't think it should turn into a jobbridge thing - not at all. It annoys the hell out of me that some people seem to think the unemployed are their fantasy army, to be deployed at their whim, since "we pay their wages".


  • #36
    Nodster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 956 ✭✭✭Nodster


    Was posted on boards last April

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056063048&page=9


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  • #37
    Chucken
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,459 ✭✭✭Chucken


    FrStone wrote: »
    Well I've often told friends of mine on the dole to apply for the job. I'm always met with the same response "Sure I couldn't come off the dole for one days work - too much hassle".

    That's your friends.

    If you read my previous post, I mentioned a neighbour who did it, straight off a TUS scheme. Obviously he had to sign on again. He was delighted to get a days work, so stop with the "lazy feckers on the dole" attitude.


  • #38
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 27,498 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I hear they get free prams.


  • #39
    Red Kev
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,793 ✭✭✭Red Kev


    Maid of the Mist wrote: »
    For the last 20 years that I've been voting, it has always been the same bug-eyed faces working at the polling stations on election day...bored housewives, the children of the local gombeen, and the neighbourhood busybodies who weasel themselves onto every community committee.

    Nobody else even gets a look-in for these jobs. The positions are filled even before they're announced. Hundreds of thousands unemployed in this country and it's still the well-connected with their snouts in the trough. Nice wages if you can get them.
    comongethappy wrote: »
    There is no more closed shop than vote counting.
    suicide_circus wrote: »
    Like most things in this country, vote counters are chosen on a nod/wink I knew your father basis.

    I have worked at 4 previous elections as a poll clerk, and this one just gone as a presiding officer, which is the person in charge of a table (not the station as a whole).

    I was on the dole for a few months in 2009 and I applied for the job through the returning officer of Dublin City, who is the Sheriff; the office is in Foynes St. I sent in an email expressing an interest, got a phone call where I was asked a few questions about my affiliation to any candidates and my general health and a few weeks later I was asked to show up at a polling station at 6.30 am.

    I have no connection to any politicians or civil servants, I didn't even tell anybody I applied as I was applying to do a fair few jobs at the time.

    From talking to the other people who I have worked with in polling stations, one out of 12 is a public servant, theo others are unemployed or work at other jobs, maybe 4 are housewives, one was a househusband IIRC.

    Incidentally this year they seemed to be a bit stuck for poll clerks as they roped a public servant into the job, he had last done this 8 years ago and didn't like it. They rang him to do the count on Saturday and he was pretty p1ssed off that he had to do that. It's a boring job to be honest.

    I worked as a polling clerk (the "junior" person at the table) and this time became the head of the table. I probably get more money but I'm responsible for the table and can have my wages docked if it's not 100%. I can also be personally sued by a member of the public if I mess up their vote etc. So no, it's not that much of a free ride.

    You can't leave the table except to got to the toilet, and have a quick cup of tea, anything more than a 10 minute break is frowned on.

    Anyway, sorry to pee on the conspiracy theories but I got the job with no connections and there are plenty of others in the same situation. There was a woman in our station in her 40's who has been doing it since she was a student, she still does it to keep her name in the hat, if you leave you essentially start from scratch again, but as others have said, just contact your returning officer for your constituency to see what the procedure is for the next election.

    pablomakaveli wrote: »
    How much do people get paid for vote counting anyway?
    vicwatson wrote: »
    A lot, and tax free afaik

    Self employed now, I got €260 last time out as a poll clerk after USC but have to declare it at the end of the year, so take tax off that. Nearly 17 hours, so 8 hours standard and 8.5 hours at time and a half overtime gives a rate of around €12.50 before tax.
    dj jarvis wrote: »
    they said on Newstalk today that the positions were filled by civil servants ,
    is this correct ?

    Bullsh1t. That's Newstalk gone down a bit further in my estimation. A 5 minute research would have proven that to be crap.
    spurious wrote: »
    I hear they get free prams.

    Yes, we get a free pram each, they cost €1000 in Mothercare. But on the way home the bus driver said I can't take it on the bus so I left it at the bus stop.


  • #40
    Barely There
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,481 ✭✭✭Barely There


    vicwatson wrote: »
    A lot, and tax free afaik

    Wow, that does sound like a lot of money.


  • #41
    D1stant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,806 ✭✭✭D1stant


    Red Kev wrote: »
    I have worked at 4 previous elections as a poll clerk, and this one just gone as a presiding officer, which is the person in charge of a table (not the station as a whole).


    LOL. Pure Father Ted

    Great post by the way


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  • #42
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,252 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    To clear up the ignorance of certain posters regarding these jobs.

    To declare my interest. I've worked at the counts for the last 3 referenda and as a polling clerk last friday and again on the European count yesterday.
    I'm also unemployed.

    Each time I applied to the Dublin City Sheriff declaring my interest in working at these events and providing my detaails

    Its not tax free and I also pay PRSI and USC.

    The polling involved me sitting from 7 am to 10 pm at a desk without the ability to leave the centre for the duration.

    Working at the count yesterday, I was in at 8 am and finished at 4 am on Monday morning.

    Each time I do it there are regulars who a needed as they have significant experience in dealing with the complex process and there are also a lot of new people who have applied and been successful in their application.

    If your finished griping about those of us prepared to work 20 hours shifts and still need to be accurate when we are falling over with exhaustion all you need to do is apply to the sheriff when the next election or referendum is announced.

    My niece applied the last 4 times and was successful this time and worked as a polling clerk. She said it was the most boring job she had ever done.


    So at anyone still saying its a conspiracy needs to move their gripes over to here


  • #43
    Eurovisionmad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,160 ✭✭✭Eurovisionmad


    Maid of the Mist wrote: »
    For the last 20 years that I've been voting, it has always been the same bug-eyed faces working at the polling stations on election day...bored housewives, the children of the local gombeen, and the neighbourhood busybodies who weasel themselves onto every community committee.

    Nobody else even gets a look-in for these jobs. The positions are filled even before they're announced. Hundreds of thousands unemployed in this country and it's still the well-connected with their snouts in the trough. Nice wages if you can get them.


    If they've already competent at the job why throw in the local scumbags who can barely count, you can apply for the vacancies but why fix what's not broken?


  • #44
    Chucken
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,459 ✭✭✭Chucken


    Eurovisionmad wrote: »
    If they've already competent at the job why throw in the local scumbags who can barely count, you can apply for the vacancies but why fix what's not broken?

    Thousands of unemployed people= scumbags?

    Don't start.

    Thanks.


  • #45
    3DataModem
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,212 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    Mr. Incognito wrote: »
    Yeah. They really clean up every four years.

    They must spend the intervening time on tropical islands sipping piña coladas and getting blown by unicorns.

    Read item #6

    http://www.cracked.com/article_21189_the-6-most-horrifying-sex-scenes-in-fan-fiction-pt.-4.html

    You are welcome, sir.


  • #46
    two wheels good
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,955 ✭✭✭two wheels good


    vicwatson wrote: »
    A lot, and tax free afaik

    Certainly not tax-free.
    Polling clerk: approx 200Euro .. for a 15 hour day.


  • #47
    Snakeweasel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 573 ✭✭✭Snakeweasel


    When I was polling clerk for a referendum I was paid 400 for the day, 14 people voted, I got taxed to the eyeballs but was able to claim it all back. I got it through my neighbour who is a civil servant and has been doing polling stations and vote counting my entire life.


  • #48
    Meathlass
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Meathlass


    My name is URL wrote: »
    That and supervising state exams.

    That's advertised every year in papers.


  • #49
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,293 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    Ronin Breezy Spice wrote: »
    To clear up the ignorance of certain posters regarding these jobs.

    To declare my interest. I've worked at the counts for the last 3 referenda and as a polling clerk last friday and again on the European count yesterday.
    I'm also unemployed.

    Each time I applied to the Dublin City Sheriff declaring my interest in working at these events and providing my detaails

    Its not tax free and I also pay PRSI and USC.

    The polling involved me sitting from 7 am to 10 pm at a desk without the ability to leave the centre for the duration.

    Working at the count yesterday, I was in at 8 am and finished at 4 am on Monday morning.

    Each time I do it there are regulars who a needed as they have significant experience in dealing with the complex process and there are also a lot of new people who have applied and been successful in their application.

    If your finished griping about those of us prepared to work 20 hours shifts and still need to be accurate when we are falling over with exhaustion all you need to do is apply to the sheriff when the next election or referendum is announced.

    My niece applied the last 4 times and was successful this time and worked as a polling clerk. She said it was the most boring job she had ever done.


    So at anyone still saying its a conspiracy needs to move their gripes over to here

    I'd like to add to this if I may.

    I applied for a position as a polling clerk during the elections about 4 years ago, was also there about 20-30 minutes before and after the polls opened/closed to help set up and return the hall to its prior state.

    A few of the voters who came in commented that it was all new faces manning the centre, 3 booths, 6 staff. Its was also my pollong centre for 6 years, and at polling days afterwards, I only recognised one or two of the faces.

    I was on the dole (JSB) at the time. I did not have to sign off and re apply, simply told them I had one days work, showed them my letter from the returning officer, and they deducted my benifit for that week only accordingly.

    I paid my tax, and PRSI, got my P60 at the end of the year, and also got a P45, and a letter to say that if I wanted the role next time, would have to re apply, as they were prioritising the role to the unemployed, with a number of limited roles being kept for experienced clerks, who too, still had to reapply.

    Think that helps to further dispel a few of the myths being bought up.


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