The Count: who can attend, secrecy requirements and roles
Who can attend the count?
Candidates and their Election Agent 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 Requirement for Secrecy (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. 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 taken from the boxes, sorted and processed;
- observing the electronic counting process and making sure that it is accurate;
- drawing to the attention of the Supervisors to any “Doubtful Ballot Papers”;
- if the 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.
All count staff will wear a coloured bib. Counting agents and observers should not engage count staff in conversation or discussion and must not encroach into the count workspace. Tables are laid out to allow counting agents to observe the processes whilst remaining outside the barriers.
At the adjudication stage of the electronic count process there are dual screens where observers can view the ballot papers that the Adjudication operators are reviewing.
If you think there is a problem at any stage in the count process, you must raise it with one of the Supervisors or the Count Manager and not the operatives. Senior staff will have red bibs.
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 count staff and give them space to do their work. Observers should not lean over the barrier or otherwise physically intrude upon the counting area. Observers must keep talk and noise to a minimum near the tables.
Observers must not block the circulation space round the edge of the count halls as it is both a corridor and an emergency exit route. To ensure clear evacuation routes no furniture should be moved.