Local elections will be held in the Leeds City Council area on Thursday 7 May 2026.
To register your interest for working at the elections, complete our online application form.
Apply to work at the electionsWe will only contact you if a suitable position becomes available. Vacancies can arise any time up until the day before polling day (6 May).
If you are appointed to a role at the elections, you will be required to provide evidence of your right to work. This is applicable to everyone. Details of how to have your right to work checked will be included with appointment offers.
All election duties are subject to statutory secrecy requirements. Anyone who is or has carried out duties on behalf of a political party or candidate at the election is not permitted to be employed.
Job descriptions
Poll clerk
Description of duties
- assisting the presiding officer to prepare the polling station for the poll
- checking identification of electors attending to vote
- finding and marking the electors on the register of electors
- issuing ballot papers
- completion of paperwork required for return of postal votes
- assisting the presiding officer at the close of poll to ensure the polling station premises are tidied
- completing online interactive training session
Previous experience: None required
Training: Online training session
Date: Thursday 7 May 2026
Hours of work: 6:15am to 10:30pm
Location: Polling stations throughout the Leeds City Council area
Pay: £13.45 per hour
Presiding officer
Description of duties
- responsible for the setup of the polling station
- supervising poll clerks
- checking identification of electors attending to vote (voter ID)
- decision making on referred identification
- completion of paperwork required for return of postal votes
- ensuring at the close of poll the polling station premises are tided and all equipment has been dismantled
- ready for collection or storage
- collecting ballot box and equipment from the returning officer prior to polling day
- returning ballot box and equipment immediately after the close of poll
- completing online interactive training session
Previous experience: Experience of being a poll clerk or working in a senior role in substantive post
Training: Online training session
Date: Thursday 7 May 2026
Hours of work: 6:15am until 11pm
Location: Polling stations throughout the Leeds City Council area
Pay: £17.85 per hour
Polling station inspector
Description of duties
- visiting polling stations within an allocated area throughout polling day
- first point of contact for presiding officers
- resolving issues arising or operational problems, escalating to the returning officer as required
- completing polling station checklists on each visit, noting any issues comments for the returning officer
- assisting presiding officers with checking identification where required
- collection of postal votes from polling stations and delivering to the returning officer
- collecting ballot box and equipment from the returning officer prior to polling day
- responsible for the receipt of ballot boxes and equipment at the close of poll
- completing online interactive training session and attending online briefing sessions for polling station inspectors
Previous experience: Experience of being a presiding officer or working in a senior role in substantive post
Training: Online training session
Date: Thursday 7 May 2026
Hours of work: 6am until 11pm
Location: Polling stations throughout the Leeds City Council area
Pay: £19.81 per hour
Counting assistant
Description of duties
- sorting and counting ballot papers
Previous experience: None required
Training: Instructions provided by email. A briefing will be given prior to the start of the count
Date: Friday 8 May 2026
Hours of work: 9:30am until approximately 5pm
Location: Bowls and Athletics Centre, John Charles Centre for Sport, Middleton Grove, LS11
Pay per hour: £13.45
Senior counting assistant
Description of duties
- distributing ballot papers to counting assistants
- supervising counting assistants
- advising figures to count supervisor
- assisting with calculations
Previous experience: Counting assistant or working in a senior role in substantive post
Training: Online training session
Date: Friday 8 May 2026
Hours of work: 9:30am until approximately 5pm
Location: Bowls and Athletics Centre, John Charles Centre for Sport, Middleton Grove, LS11
Pay per hour: £20.66
Postal vote opening clerk
Description of duties
- counting envelopes returned
- following instructions on opening and checking contents of envelopes
- counting the number of ballot papers received
Previous experience: Not required
Dates: 28, 29, 30 April and 5, 7 May
Hours of work: 9am to 5pm on 28, 29, 30 April and 5 May. Hours on 7 May to be confirmed - likely late afternoon until approximately 2:30am on 8 May
Location: Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR
Pay per hour: £13.45
Postal vote team supervisor
Description of duties
- supervising opening clerks
- verifying and adjudicating on doubtful personal identifiers
- providing daily statistics to the returning officer
- ensuring accuracy on ballot papers put forward to the count
- dealing with orphaned documents
- time recording of the team
Previous experience: Experience as a postal vote opening clerk or working in a senior role in substantive post
Training: One training session in person - date to be confirmed
Dates: 28, 29, 30 April and 5, 7 May
Hours of work: 9am to 5pm on 28, 29, 30 April and 5 May. Hours on 7 May to be confirmed - likely late afternoon until approximately 2:30am on 8 May
Location: Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR
Pay per hour: £17.85
Postal vote operational team assistant
Description of duties
- receipting of daily mail from Royal Mail
- opening of mail
- sorting and distribution of mail to team supervisors
- securing of ballot papers at the end of each opening session
Previous experience: None required
Training: Instructions provided by email. Briefing on first day of working
Dates: 28, 29, 30 April and 5, 7 May
Hours of work: 9am to 5pm on 28, 29, 30 April and 5 May. Hours on 7 May to be confirmed - likely late afternoon until approximately 2:30am on 8 May
Location: Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR
Pay per hour: £13.45
Previous experience: None required
Training: Instructions provided by email. Briefing on first day of working
Dates: 28, 29, 30 April and 5, 7 May
Hours of work: 9am to 5pm on 28, 29, 30 April and 5 May. Hours on 7 May to be confirmed - likely late afternoon until approximately 2:30am on 8 May
Location: To be confirmed
Deputy returning officer
Description of duties
- responsible for a ward count
- supervising senior counting assistants
- undertaking all calculations
- speaking to candidates and agents
- declaring the result
Previous experience: Experience essential in senior counting assistant role or working in a senior role in substantive post
Training: Online training session
Date: Friday 8 May 2026
Hours of work: 8:30am until approximately 5pm
Location: Bowls and Athletics Centre, John Charles Centre for Sport, Middleton Grove, LS11
Pay: £30.08 per hour
Count operational assistant
Description of duties
- delivering ballot boxes and other equipment to each count area
- ensuring count area is clear after the declaration of result is announced
Previous experience: None required
Date: Friday 8 May 2026
Hours of work: 9:30am until approximately 5pm
Location: Bowls and Athletics Centre, John Charles Centre for Sport, Middleton Grove, LS11
Pay: £13.45 per hour
Criminal convictions
When applying to work for the Returning Officer, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 requires you to declare any criminal convictions that are not yet spent. If you fail to declare these, your appointment may be withdrawn.
Prison sentences of more than 2 and a half years can never become spent. Please remember that it is the sentence issued by the court that counts, even if it was suspended.
If you have any relevant convictions, please notify Electoral Services.
Information we will hold about you
We have a statutory obligation to retain certain information about you. To find out more detail about this, read our privacy notice.
After you have been appointed to a role
Online training session
You will receive a link to an online, compulsory training session closer to polling day. Training takes around 60 minutes and can be paused if needed. It covers the key duties of Poll Clerks and Presiding Officers and includes important information for polling day.
If you do not complete the training, your appointment will be withdrawn. If you complete the training but later withdraw from the role, the training payment will be withheld.
For training enquiries, use the contact details in your appointment offer.
Ballot box collection
If you are appointed as a Presiding Officer or Polling Station Inspector, you’ll need to collect your ballot box and stationery before polling day.
Full instructions will be emailed to you nearer the time.
Polling day information
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.
Polling day timeline
- 6:15am to 7am: Set up the polling station (signage, booths, notices).
- 7am to 10pm: Polling station open.
- 10pm to 10:30pm: Pack away all equipment and restore the venue to how you found it.
You may finish slightly earlier than 10:30pm depending on how busy your station is at close of poll.
Breaks
By accepting your appointment, you agree to opt out of the maximum working hours set by the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Set breaks may not be possible, and you may need to eat while working.
Please bring enough food and drink for the full 16+ hour day.
You may not be able to leave the polling station. Presiding Officers must not leave under any circumstances.
Guidance on appearance
Polling staff represent the Returning Officer and must maintain a professional, politically neutral appearance.
Smart casual clothing is ideal. It’s a long day, so choose comfortable layers to help manage the temperature.
Payment
Your rate of pay is shown in your offer of appointment. Please make sure your bank details in your MEA account are correct.
Most payments will be made on 26 June 2026. If there is a delay (for example, if we have not received your bank details), payment will instead be made on 24 July 2026.
Tax information
Tax will be deducted using your usual tax code.
If you do not normally pay tax, you may still see a deduction at first. This is due to real time tax reporting and will usually be refunded automatically in the following weeks.
We are unable to answer questions about how much tax you will pay. For tax enquiries, contact HMRC on 0300 200 3300 or visit GOV.UK.
Pension auto-enrolment
Automatic enrolment helps people save for their retirement. Employers must enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme when the criteria are met.
If you meet the eligibility requirements 3 months after your start date for this election, the council’s Business Support Centre (BSC) will contact you with more information.
If you have questions, email bscpensionsservices@leeds.gov.uk.
Right to work
Before carrying out any duties, you must provide proof of your right to work in the UK. Even if you have provided this before, previous documents have been deleted as required by government guidance.
How checks are carried out
Most checks must be done in person so staff can view and copy your documents. A list of acceptable documents is available on the Citizens Advice Bureau website.
Some people may be able to provide an online share code. Send your share code to the email address provided in your appointment offer.
Deadline
Please ensure your right to work check is completed by 27 March 2026.
If this is not done, your appointment may be withdrawn.
Where to have documents checked
Leeds City Council employees must still complete a right to work check because the Returning Officer is a separate employer. Your line manager can verify your documents in person, then scan or photograph them and send them to the email in your appointment letter, confirming the date they were checked.
Non-Leeds City Council employees can visit any Leeds City Council community hub (no appointment needed). Staff will check your documents, scan them, and send them directly to the Returning Officer. Find your nearest community hub.
Statement of secrecy
View guidelines on the secrecy of the ballot, and download the notification of secrecy requirements at the Electoral Commission website:
