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 please complete our online application form. We 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.
Rates of pay for roles have not yet been confirmed. These will be available against the roles below once they are known.
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
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: To be confirmed
Date: Thursday 7 May 2026
Hours of work: 6:15am until 11pm
Location: Polling stations throughout the Leeds City Council area
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: To be confirmed
Date: Thursday 7 May 2026
Hours of work: 6am until 11pm
Location: Polling stations throughout the Leeds City Council area
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
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: 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
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
Training: Instructions provided by email. Briefing given on the 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
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: To be confirmed
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: To be confirmed
Information we will hold about you
We have a statutory obligation to retain certain information about you. To find out more detail about this please read our privacy notice.
