ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

Who can attend the count?

Candidates, one other person chosen by them, and Election Agents are entitled to attend the count.   

Additionally, Counting Agents may be appointed specifically to attend the count (see below). Candidates and Election Agents can also do anything that a Counting Agent is allowed to do.

Requirements of Secrecy

Every person attending the Count must read and abide by the (see Appendix 1).  This is a very serious matter and breaches may be investigated by Police Scotland and could lead to fines or imprisonment.

What is the role of the counting agent?

The role of the counting agent is to support their candidate/party. In addition, they also have an important part to play as the “eyes and ears” of the public in assuring that the count is carried out accurately.  We rely on agents and observers to provide an assurance that the count is secure and undertaken with integrity.

What does a counting agent do?

Counting agents have a number of important roles to play at the count

• watching the papers being counted and sorted and making sure that papers go into the correct piles. If they see a paper going on a wrong pile they must speak to the Supervisor (wearing a red bib with an “S”);
• observing the counting process and making sure that it is accurate;
• drawing to the attention of the Supervisors any “Doubtful Ballot Papers”
• if a Count is suspended for any reason or there is a break in the proceedings, counting agents can add their seals to the doors when the hall is secured.

Interaction with count staff

All count staff will wear a coloured bib. Counting agents should not engage count assistants in conversation or discussion and must not encroach into the count assistant’s workspace. Counting tables are laid out to allow counting agents to observe the process whilst remaining outside the barriers.

If you think there is a problem, then you must raise it with one of the supervisors, the count manager or assistant count manager, and not the count assistants. Senior staff will have red bibs. If an issue is raised at a particular table, the count assistants will be instructed to stop work until the matter is resolved.

Supervisors have been instructed to ensure that observers do not intrude on the count staff’s work area. While observers have a role to scrutinise and ensure a transparent process, they must respect the count assistants and give them space to do their work. Observers should not lean over the chain link barrier or otherwise physically intrude upon the counting area. Observers must keep talk and noise to a minimum near the counting tables.

Observers must not block the circulation space round the edge of the count hall as it is both a corridor and an emergency exit route. To ensure clear evacuation routes there are no additional tables allowed in this space and any chairs placed in front of fire exits or blocking access to any circulation route will be removed by security.

Roles at the Count 

Many people are involved in running an election count, but you are most likely to come across

• The Returning Officer (RO) – this is the person in charge of the Election. Paul Lawrence is the Returning Officer (RO) for all five constituencies in ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.
• Depute Returning Officers (DROs) – will be assisting the RO throughout the Count and are able to act on his behalf.
• Count Manager and an Assistant Count Manager – each constituency count is managed by a Count Manager (CM) and an Assistant Count Manager (ACM). The CMs are also DROs.
• Information Officers – will be available in count halls to answer Candidate and Agent queries and guide them to the Candidate Briefing Room.
• Supervisors – they manage teams of count assistants and report to the count managers in each constituency.
• Count Assistants – they are divided into count teams and will count the ballot papers at verification and then the votes for each candidate.
• Accountants – records all the figures and produces the provisional result using spreadsheets.
• Postal Vote Opening Team – a team of staff will be opening and verifying postal votes received in Polling Places and the final delivery from the Royal Mail.
• Boxes In Team – there are eight teams working throughout the building to receive the ballot boxes from polling places.