Template Scripts Forannouncementsby Counting Officers at the Verification and Count

Template scripts forannouncementsby Counting Officers at the verification and count

Good communication at the count is important as it allows those present to properly scrutinise all of the processes and will help to build confidence in the administration of the count. Providing information on the process can also help to lower the number of queries raised, thus reducing the pressure on staff.

This document contains three scripts:

• Example scripts that can be used to update attendees on progress throughout the verification and count.You can use these as a basis for developing your announcements for the various stages of the count. They will need to be amended to reflect your own particular count arrangements.
• The declaration of voting area turnout. There will be general interest in turnout levels. To ensure consistency of announcements across the UK and Gibraltar, we have provided template wording that you should use when declaring the turnout for your voting area.
• The declaration of local count totals that will be produced by the results collation system. To ensure consistency of announcements across the UK and Gibraltar, this is the wording you should use when declaring the count totals for your voting area. We have included a copy of this here for reference, but when declaring the count totals for your voting area, you should printand read out thecertificate that is produced by the results collation system.

Template scripts for use throughout the count

Example announcement prior to start of verification

Ladies and gentlemen, I am [insert name] and I am the Counting Officer for [insert name of voting area][1].Welcome to [insert venue]. Today voters in [insert area] have had the opportunity to vote in the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.

I thought it would be helpful to start by explaining how our votes will feed into the result for the whole of the UK and Gibraltar.

The referendum result will be calculated from the collation of the totals for each of the 382 voting areas.

Once we have a provisional local total and it has been shared with the agents, we will relay the local total to the Regional Counting Officer[2]Following their authorisation I will declare the local total.

The Regional Counting Officer will collate the local totals for all voting areas in [insert name of electoral region] to produce a [insert name of electoral region]-wide regional total. They will then relay the totals for the whole of [insert name of electoral region] to the Chief Counting Officer.Following authorisation he/she will declare the regional total.

In accordance with the direction issued by the Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, we have split the count into a number of self-contained smaller areas. Count teams will be allocated ballot boxes for their specific area. We will aggregate the totals for each of these areas into a single total for the voting area.

We are now about to start the first stage of the count. At this stage we will be counting the number of ballot papers only. We are not looking at how people have voted– at this stage we are only interested in counting the numbers of ballot papers in the ballot boxes.

This stage is a very important part of the overall process – it checks that all of the polling station and postal ballot papers are properlyaccounted for andthat the number of ballot papers delivered here matches the number we expected. At this stage we will be comparing the actual numbers of ballot papers in each ballot box against the ballot paper account. This is a form completed by the Presiding Officer at each polling station accounting for the ballot papers they have issued. A similar account has been completed for each box of postal ballot papers. We will also be checking the number of ballot papers that were not used and any that have been spoilt and replaced.

It is crucial that this first stage is done properly and, as with the next stage, accuracy is more important than speed. At the conclusion of this first stage we will have a final figure for the total number of ballot papers that are going forward to the next stage of the count– and it is this figure with which the final totals should reconcile.

We will be receiving ballot boxes from [insert number of polling stations] polling stations. We are expecting our last ballot box to arrive at about [insert time] and expect this first stage to be

completed around [insert time]. All of the information from this first stage will be brought together in a statement which all agents are entitled to a copy of.

Count teams will be allocated a set number of ballot boxes. Once the number of ballot papers in those boxes has been counted and the number confirmed, the teams will start the next stage – the counting of the votes.This stage involves sorting the ballot papers into votes for ‘LEAVE’ and ‘REMAIN’, identifying and adjudicating on any doubtful ballot papers and counting how many votes have been cast for each answer.

I will let you know when individual teams have completed the first stage and are ready to start counting the votes. When the first stage is complete for all teams, I’ll also let you know. At that time I will also be able to let you know what the turnout has been.

The total number of votes for each answer counted by the various count teams will be collated. We expect the final announcement of totals for the voting area to be made some time between [insert time range].

More detailed information about the processes involved can be found in the information pack available to everyone attending tonight’s event. If you have any questions about any aspect of tonight’s proceedings, please speak to any member of the senior team who will be more than happy to provide further information.

Arrangements will vary locally, so the following will need to be amended to reflect your own particular arrangements:

Can I remind guests that smoking is not allowed within the building, nor is the consumption of alcohol. Drinks and light refreshments are available from the refreshment area. The nearest toilets are situated at [insert location].

You are welcome to use mobile phones and cameras when the totals are being declared but please do not use these devices in the vicinity of the ballot papers. If the fire alarm sounds, please leave by the nearest exit and follow the instructions of the stewards.

Further announcements will be made during the course of tonight’s proceedings to keep you informed of progress.

Example announcement before the first teams start counting the votes

Ladies and gentlemen, very shortly we will start to count the votes cast in favour of each answer to the referendum question.

Once those areas into which we have divided the count complete the verification stage, the relevant teams will start counting the votes. The ballot papers will be sorted into votes for ‘LEAVE’ and votes for ‘REMAIN’ and we will establish how many votes have been cast in favour of each answer.

We will also identify and adjudicate on doubtful ballot papers. Some ballot papers need to be looked at more carefully because, for example, the voter has marked their ballot paper in some way which means their intention is not obvious or they appear to have voted for more than one answer. These ballot papers will need to be adjudicated to determine whether they should be rejected or accepted. The adjudication of doubtful ballot papers will commence almost immediately once the counting of votes has started and will be an ongoing process.

Any agents wishing to observe and participate in this process should make their way shortly to [insert location details].

Once all the votes have been counted by all teams and a provisional total has been established, I will consult with the counting agents and determine whether any recounts are necessary. Recounts can only be requested at voting area level and only by the ‘designated’ counting agent for a referendum campaigner or by the referendum agent.

I will then submit the local count totals to the Regional Counting Officer. Once the local totals have been authorised by the Regional Counting Officer, no recount can take place.

I’ll let you know shortly before the local totals are ready to be announced so that you can make your way to the declaration area in [insert location]. Copies of the local totals will also be available from [insert location].

Declaration of voting area turnout

Ladies and gentlemen, I can confirm that the first stage of the count has been completed.

As Counting Officer for the[insert name of voting area] voting area at the referendum held on 23 June 2016 under the European Union Referendum Act 2015, I hereby declare that:

• The total number of ballot papers verified was[include total number verified].
• The total number of eligible electors was [insert number].
• The percentage turnout is[insert number].

Copies of the turnout statement are now available.

Declaration of local count totals

As Counting Officer for the ………………………………… voting area at the referendum held on 23 June 2016 under the European Union Referendum Act 2015, and having been authorised to do so by the Regional Counting Officer[3], I hereby give notice that I have certified the following:

[1] In Northern Ireland, references throughout these scripts to the ‘Counting Officer’ and ‘voting area’ should be read as references to the ‘Deputy Counting Officer’ and ’sub-counting area’ respectively.

[2] In Northern Ireland, references to the ‘Regional Counting Officer’ should be read as references to the ‘Counting Officer for Northern Ireland’.

[3] In Northern Ireland, replace the reference to ‘Regional Counting Officer’ with ‘Chief Counting Officer’.