Specific guidance for tellers
What are Tellers and what do they do?
- Tellers are people who stand outside polling places and may be appointed by candidates to give them an estimate of turnout and who has already voted. This is purely a campaigning activity and is not the responsibility of the Returning Officer or his staff. Candidates and agents are responsible for the behaviour of their tellers.
- Tellers must not give the impression that they are employed by the Returning Officer. They should concern themselves only with checking who has voted. They must not ask voters who they intend to vote for or how they have voted.
- Tellers have no legal status and voters have the right to refuse to give them any information.
- The usual means of telling is to ask voters for their poll cards (but see general guidance above) or electoral number. If a voter does not have a poll card and does not know his or her electoral number tellers may ask for the voter’s name and address but must not give the impression that the information is to be provided for official purposes. If the voter refuses, he or she must not be pressed. Voters must not be asked to re-enter the polling station to ascertain their electoral number. Tellers must not impede or obstruct voters on their way in or out of the polling station or polling place.
- There should be no more than one teller outside a polling place for each candidate at any time. Where a polling place contains more than one polling station with separate entrances it may be appropriate for there to be tellers at each entrance but again no more than one per candidate at any time.
- Tellers’ behaviour and numbers should never be capable of being seen as intimidating in any way. They must not have discussions with Voters that may give rise to allegations of undue influence e.g.about voting intentions or party affiliations.
- Tellers should wear coloured rosettes of a reasonable size, as this assists voters by making it clear that they are not electoral officials. The rosette may display the name of a candidate and/or a registered party name, emblem or description. Tellers must not wear, carry or display any headwear, footwear or other apparel that carries any writing, picture or sign relating to any candidate or party apart from a rosette.
Electoral Commission Guidance
The Electoral Commission have some useful material on the behaviour of Tellers