General Election 2015: Why am I being asked for my electoral number at the polling station, and what is the information used for?
You are under no obligation to talk to tellers
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Your support makes all the difference.When you visited your polling station today, you may have been approached by a party representative with a clip board who asked for you electoral number.
These people are known as tellers and play a vital role in elections and referendums.
But who are they, and what do they do with your details?
Who’s sent this person with a clipboard?
Tellers are generally volunteers who stand outside polling station on the behalf of campaigners, election agents, or candidates.
Their job is to note down the electoral numbers of voters.
What will they do with my details?
Your polling number is used to see who has not voted in certain areas. This allows campaigners to contact voters in the remaining hours of the election, and persuade them to turn out. By doing this, tellers can help to swing marginal seats and maintain strongholds.
Do I have to speak to them?
You have no obligation whatsoever to speak to tellers, and voters have a legal right to refuse to give them information, according to the Electoral Commission.
In fact, they are bound by rules to ensure you can vote without being hassled. Tellers must stay outside of polling stations – unless they’re casting their own vote or a proxy, or are assisting a disabled person.
Tellers are also not allowed to see or hear what is going on in a polling station, or stop a voter from getting in our out of the building in any way.
They also can’t ask voters to go back into a polling station to check their elector number – say if the person didn’t take their polling card with them to vote – and they aren’t allowed to influence voters.
While they can wear rosettes for their parties, they can’t display any campaign material.
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