MAY 2015 ELECTIONS

1. MAY 2015 ELECTIONS AGENTS BRIEFING 16 April 2015

2. Housekeeping Please turn all mobile phones off or to silent There are no fire alarm tests today - if alarm goes go to the nearest fire exit and follow directions from staff.

3. Aims of this briefing • To give an overview of the electoral procedures for agents for the parliamentary, district and parish elections • To give information up to and including the counts • General information regarding the election processes

4. Areas to be covered • Timetable • Appointments for agents and sub-agents • Postal votes • Registers • Counts • Security

5. Introductions • The Acting Returning Officer is responsible for running the general election • The Returning Officer is responsible for running the local elections • David Buckle is the Acting Returning Officer for the Henley, Oxford West and Abingdon and Wantage constituencies • David Buckle is also the Returning Officer for the South and Vale and parish elections • The Electoral Registration Officer is responsible for maintaining the registers of electors and absent voters lists David Buckle is also the Electoral Registration Officer • Deputy Acting/Returning Officers: • Steven Corrigan (Henley constituency count) • Philippa Rugman(Henley constituency count) • Margaret Reed (Oxford West and Abingdon count) • Marcia Beviere (Oxford West and Abingdon count) • Kathy Fiander (Wantage constituency count) • Sarah Ling (Wantage constituency count)

6. May 2015 elections • Parliamentary General Election for Henley constituency Oxford West and Abingdon constituency Wantage constituency • District council elections South Oxfordshire District Council (all out – 21 wards) Vale of White Horse District Council (all out – 24 wards) • Contested parish council elections South Oxfordshire - 20 town/parish councils/wards Vale of White Horse - 20 town/parish councils/wards

7. How you can help • Registration forms must be submitted by midnight on Monday 20 April • Encourage electors to respond to any requests for information that they have received from us • Postal vote applications must be submitted by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April • Proxy vote application forms must be submitted by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April

8. Information available • Electoral Commission guidance for candidates and agents including • election timetables for combined elections • sub-agent, polling agent, postal voting and counting agents’ appointment forms • requests for electoral register and absent voters’ list • code of conduct for campaigners – postal voting, proxy voting and polling stations • tellers’ guidance and do’s and don’ts All are available from the Electoral Commission website http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/candidate-or-agent

9. Statutory election timetable

10. Statutory election timetable contd

11. Access to electoral register/absent voters’ list • Available to candidates for each election provided a written request to the electoral registration officer is made • Registers can only be used for the following permitted purposes: - to assist candidates in their campaign - to check that any donations/loans are permissible It is illegal to use for other than electoral purposes

12. Return of deposits • Where cash has been paid, it will be returned the week commencing 11 May – please contact Marcia Beviere to make an appointment • Where a draft has been paid, we will arrange electronic transfer of funds to the account requested by you

13. Electoral Commission code of conduct for campaigners • Campaigners are an essential element of a healthy democracy, but their activities should not bring into question the integrity of the electoral process • Absent vote applications: • make sure electors understand implications of absent vote • do not encourage postal ballot pack redirection • do not encourage electors to appoint a campaigner as a proxy • Postal ballot packs: • never touch a postal ballot paper or observe electors completing their postal vote • do not encourage electors to give you their completed postal ballot paper or envelope • Polling stations: • keep access to polling places and the pavements around polling places clear to allow voters to enter Please issue campaigners with a copy of the Electoral Commission “Guidance to campaigners and tellers”

14. Campaigning – code of conduct Tellers have no legal status but there are Guidance for Tellers sheets available from the Electoral Commission website; we would advise these are issued to all your tellers Tellers MUST: • always remain outside the polling station i.e. room within which voting is taking place Tellers MUST NOT: • be able to see or hear what is happening in the polling station • impede, obstruct or intimidate voters • demand information • use undue influence Tellers MAY • display a coloured rosette or badge displaying the name of the candidate or party. While the rosette must not be oversized, it may carry a description or emblem

15. Campaigning • Use imprints on all your campaign material, it is advisable to include it on all website and social media material • Political signs on the highway need county council approval • Political signs generally need approval of the landowner • Do not produce material that looks like a poll card or ballot paper • Do not pay people to display your adverts (unless they display adverts as part of their normal business, e.g. newspapers)

16. Postal votes • Separate postal vote issues for Parliamentary and district/parish • We expect the first batch of postal votes to be despatched to Royal Mail on Tuesday, 21 April • The second and final batch will be despatched to Royal Mail on or about Friday, 24 April • Overseas electors’ packs will be issued as soon as practicable from the printers

17. Postal vote opening • All postal vote opening sessions (except the final one) will be at Old Abbey House, Abingdon-on-Thames OX14 3JE in five separate rooms • The purpose of agents attending is to oversee the process and not to tally votes cast • Opening sessions are: • Monday 27 April 10am to 6pm • Tuesday 28 April 10am to 6pm • Wednesday 29 April 10am to 6pm • Thursday 30 April 10am to 6pm • Friday 1 May 10am to 6pm • Tuesday 5 May 10am to 6pm • Wednesday 6 May 10am to 6pm • Thursday 7 May 10am to 6pm • Thursday 7 May 9pm until finish (at the leisure centre) Depending on the number of postal votes, some sessions may finish early Immediately prior to these sessions staff will slit the outer envelopes in preparation for processing

18. Postal vote opening agents • The number of postal vote opening agents that can be appointed is as follows: • Postal vote opening agents per candidate: • Parliamentary 2 agents • District 1 agent • Parish 1 agent • Note that not all the opening sessions may take place or may shorten due to the volumes of votes returned

19. Polling day • Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm • Staff instructed to show ballot box empty prior to sealing if candidates/agents are present at the opening of the poll • Separate ballot box for each election • Voters at the polling station in a queue in the polling station at 10pm will be allowed to vote • Voters will not be allowed to join queues after 10pm • Postal votes – can be handed into polling stations within constituency/ward relevant to the vote or delivered to the elections office until 10pm

20. Verification and Parliamentary counts • The venue for the parliamentary and district counts will be: White Horse Tennis and Leisure Centre, Abingdon-on-Thames OX14 3PJ • Count centre will open at 9.45pm • There is likely to be a queue to drive into the leisure centre car park between 10.30pm and 11.30pm when most ballot boxes are arriving – please avoid walking through the drop off area • Candidates, election agents, counting agents and one other person appointed by the candidate are entitled to attend • Agents need to manage arrival time and expectations of candidates of the likely timetable

21. Verification and Parliamentary counts • Verification of postal votes will start at 10pm • Verification will start as soon as the ballot boxes arrive from the polling stations • Once the votes are verified the parliamentary ballot papers will start to be counted (approx. 2am on Friday) • We will be undertaking mini-counts and racking votes and adjudicating doubtful ballot papers within each mini-count area • Estimated time of results is 6am – winner speech only • There is a guide to the counting process on the Electoral Commission website http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/182829/UKPGE-easy-guide-to-the-count-FINAL-FILE-DL-Leaflet.pdf

22. District counts • The venue for the district counts will be: White Horse Tennis and Leisure Centre, Abingdon-on-Thames OX14 3PJ • Counts will start at 2pm on Friday 8 May • Count centre will open from 1.45pm • Candidates, election agents, counting agents and one other person appointed by the candidate are entitled to attend • Counts will be undertaken in alphabetical order for each district – but we reserve the right to vary this to ensure efficient working (e.g. to start a longer count such as Thame slightly earlier in the process) • Where possible we will block vote two and three member wards and keep the use of grass skirts to a minimum • Results will be uploaded to the councils’ websites and displayed on screens in the count venue

23. Parish counts • The venues for the parish counts will be: White Horse Tennis and Leisure Centre, Abingdon-on-Thames OX14 3PJ Henley-on-Thames Town hall Thame Town Hall • Details of which counts are taking place where are on the relevant district council’s website • Counts will start at 10m on Saturday 9 May • Counts will be undertaken in order starting with the towns, followed by those with the most candidates – but we reserve the right to vary this to ensure efficient working • Where possible we will block vote first – likely to be in some town wards • Most counts will be carried out using grass skirts • Results will be provided to the relevant parish councils

24. Candidates – verification counting agents Please note these allocations are limited by the venue capacity; all candidates and election agents are eligible to attend this • Verification counting agents per candidate • Parliamentary 20agents • District 1 agent • Parish 1 agent • Please note that on completion of the verification for all elections the district and parish candidates and agents may be asked to leave the count venue prior to the parliamentary count commencing

25. Candidates – parliamentary counting agents The number of the various agents that can be appointed is as follows: • Parliamentary counting agents per candidate Parliamentary 20counting agents

26. Candidates – local election counting agents The number of the various agents that can be appointed is as follows: • Local election counting agents per candidate • district 2 agents • parish 1 agent Please note these allocations are limited by the venue capacity; all local candidates and election agents are eligible to attend

27. Police – security • The police will be visiting polling stations throughout polling day • There will also be a police presence at the count venue • Please assist with security on the day by not bringing large bags to the count – they may be searched • Only those authorised to be at the count are guaranteed entry so you must bring the relevant paperwork • Any incidents should be reported to the police using 101 or 999 as appropriate

28. Police – contraventions of electoral law • Please refer any alleged contraventions of electoral law to the police SPOC DS Duncan Wynn Economic Crime Unit – Major Fraud North Email: Duncan.Wynn@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

29. Candidates’ spending • Candidates’ spending is regulated by the Electoral Commission and is laid out in the Candidates and Agents Guidance • Webcast on election spending available on Electoral Commission website • Any enquiries should be referred to the Electoral Commission www.electoralcommission.org.uk Contacts at the commission: Tel: 020 7271 0616 pef@electoralcommission.org.uk

30. Electoral guidance • Please use the Electoral Commission Guidance for Candidates and Agents. This guidance is comprehensive and covers all aspects of the election process • Please download the guidance to party supporters, such as tellers, and issue copies to them. • Electoral Commission website for candidates and agents http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/candidate-or-agent

31. ANY questions?