I had an interesting day yesterday

[lurker17260]

I worked from 7.30am until after 9.30pm as a polling assistant.

I was one of those people who helped you find the right queue, made sure you put your green paper in the green box and white paper in the white box ( which some of you seemed a bit challenging by), listened to you all moaning about the size of the ballot paper while keeping my smile on, marked you off the register and gave you the speal about how to fill in your ballot paper formally, which many of you seemed to ignore (and if you think it was boring listening to it once you should try saying it a couple of thousand times!).

Then after the doors had closed at 6pm I was one of the ones who unfolded, sorted and counted your ballot papers so you could get your results as quickly as possible.

This morning my knees and hips are aching from standing most of the day, I'm dog tired, my shoulders are sore from unfolding and checking those monster senate papers and I have multiple paper cuts all over my fingers.  BUT it was mostly fun and very interesting and I'm pretty sure I'll apply to work again next election  

[catsnknots]

Stealing from the public... gotta love that one... 

[catsnknots]

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@freshwaterbeach wrote:

A sincere thank you to ALL the volunteers who worked on the polling booths yesterday.

In my previous post I was thanking all those people who did the external setups and stood outside handing out htv, etc.

An arduous but non-financially rewarding day for these volunteers.

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Clive paid people $25 per hour to hand out his htv pamphlets. 

[just_me_karen]

One of the liberal party goons harassing voters was caught drinking beer in the toilet ... at a primary school. Gotta love those lib "volunteers".

[lurker17260]

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@freshwaterbeach wrote:

A sincere thank you to ALL the volunteers who worked on the polling booths yesterday.

In my previous post I was thanking all those people who did the external setups and stood outside handing out htv, etc.

An arduous but non-financially rewarding day for these volunteers.

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uumm okay.  I wonder why you felt the need to repeat that in a thread about working as a polling assistant?  Of course people do fantastic things as volunteers, but the paid workers are the ones who ensure your vote is recorded correctly and the results are accurate.  Anyway I did it as an interesting exercise and because I have an interest in the political process - over the 14 hours I did the hourly rate isn't all that great.

[freakiness]

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@am*3 wrote:

Lurker & e-m - you get paid handsomely for doing that for the day, don't you?

Why are the voting papers filled in with pencil? I wanted to know that too?

The person who ticked me off the roll didnt ask me what my address was, only asked my name. I was trying to peep at the list to make sure my address was correct as I have changed it since the last election.

Lurker - how do you count & record the 100+ names below the list (NSW) if the voter has filled them out?

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Pencils are cheaper than pens to provide in the required numbers, more cost effective and reliable.

[lyndal1838]

Nobody bothers to nick the pencils...it would be impossible to keep up the supply of pens as every voter would walk off with them.

[lurker17260]

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@am*3 wrote:

Lurker & e-m - you get paid handsomely for doing that for the day, don't you?

Why are the voting papers filled in with pencil? I wanted to know that too?

The person who ticked me off the roll didnt ask me what my address was, only asked my name. I was trying to peep at the list to make sure my address was correct as I have changed it since the last election.

Lurker - how do you count & record the 100+ names below the list (NSW) if the voter has filled them out?

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We are supposed to ask you three questions. Have you already voted? What is your name? What is your address?  If your address has changed but you are still in the same electorate we are meant to offer you a change of address form but still cross you off the list and give you voting papers.  If your electorate was different or you simply weren't on the list I just refered you to the "bosses", don't know what happened after that, sorry.

You can also check and change you address online if you want to.

With counting the senate papers we simply had to check for formality and identify the above the line vote.  Then count and bundle them up.  For below the line again just identify the first preference, count and bundle.  They were all then sealed in gigantic  plastic sleeves and sent of, I presume to the AEC, for further counting and allocating preferences.

[polksaladallie]

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@am*3 wrote:

Why are the voting papers filled in with pencil? I wanted to know that too?

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I understood it was because too many biros get stolen.

I have never used a pencil, I consider it silly.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

Out of areas and not on our books were sent over to make a declaration voting. We ran out of the change of details forms within 2 hours so we suggested people change it on the website if they have access. One woman had filled out the *** form 3 *** times and wasn't going to *** do it again.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

Our guard had a yardstick to push the votes down. I had assumed it was the schools but it was packed up and sent back with everything else.