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Are you short of cash and free on June 4th? You can make quick and easy money from being a poll clerk in the European elections. Polling stations have to be fully staffed and you can earn up to £250 for a day’s work. This job is ideal if there is a polling station near your home.

Anyone is eligible, providing they are over eighteen, literate and not a member of a political party participating in the election. The only other requirement is that applicants must be on the electoral roll; incidentally, not being registered on the electoral roll damages your credit rating, visit Credit Expert for more details and a free credit rating.

What’s involved?

Usually, poll clerks have worked for their local council, but you don’t have to have been a government employee to qualify. Call your local authority and ask for the Elections and Registration Office, or send them an email telling them that you’re interested. They’ll send you a form if they need clerks. Also, many local authorities have online application forms, so have a look at their websites.

It is better to apply sooner rather than later, so don’t leave it until a week before an election because the positions will probably be filled. However, some local authorities recruit all year round so you can try applying in advance and be put on a waiting list for the next election.

If successful, you will attend a training/briefing session and then be sworn in the day before the election. On Election Day, a Presiding Officer oversees the whole station and will supervise and instruct you. Be prepared for the long haul - your working hours will typically be the same as the Presiding Officer – from 7am until 10pm.

Your duties include helping the Presiding Officer set up polling booths in accordance with the official guidelines, checking and marking each person as they vote and making sure that each voter casts their ballot in secret. You’ll also be expected to stamp and issue ballot papers to voters, making sure they bear the official mark.

Impartiality is of the utmost importance and any display of political bias, no matter how subtle, will almost certainly cost you your job (so leave your red baseball cap or blue tie at home). You will also have to answer any questions voters may ask in a friendly and professional way, maybe even showing people how to vote.

You can also apply to help count the ballot papers in the evening, but be aware that this is pretty frantic work and will definitely involve kissing your evenings and weekend goodbye! Do you really want that stress?

How much can you make

The amount you earn varies from council to council so depending on where you apply you can make anything from about £100 to £250 for the day. Find out how much your council pays by visiting the CITA listings of local authorities. It’s also worth bearing in mind that after two or three years experience as a poll clerk, you can apply to become a Presiding Officer, which means more responsibility and more money!

Are there other ways to make money?

If you’re an aspiring journalist you can do a tour of all your local polling stations towards the end of the night and ask the workers how the evening went. Usually there’ll be an amusing anecdote or a bit of controversy that you can write up and sell to your local paper which will almost certainly be on the lookout for stories around election time. You won’t make a huge amount but it’s a good way to get your name on the page.

Media outlets such as newspapers, television and radio stations may also be looking for “election trackers” who help monitor the results as they come in on the night. Try and get in touch with as many companies as possible, asking if they will need any extra help. Your chances of being hired increase dramatically if you have any contacts in the political world.

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