Rule 30 Appointment of presiding officers and clerksI1

England and Wales

(1)

The returning officer must appoint and pay—

(a)

a presiding officer to attend at each polling station, and

(b)

such number of clerks as may be necessary for the purposes of the poll or the count or otherwise for the purposes of the election.

(2)

The returning officer must not knowingly appoint, as a presiding officer or clerk, a person who has been employed by or on behalf of a candidate in connection with the election.

(3)

The returning officer may preside at a polling station.

(4)

Where the returning officer presides at a polling station, these rules apply to the returning officer so presiding with the necessary modifications as to things done by the returning officer in relation to the presiding officer or by the presiding officer in relation to the returning officer.

(5)

A presiding officer may authorise the clerks to do anything (including asking questions) that the presiding officer is required or authorised by these rules to do F1..., except ordering the F2arrest, exclusion or removal of any person from the polling station.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Words in Sch. 1 rule 30(5) omitted (10.3.2022) by virtue of The Local Elections (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/263), regs. 1(2), 3(5)(a) (with reg. 12(a))
F2: Word in Sch. 1 rule 30(5) inserted (13.3.2026) by The Local Elections (Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2026 (W.S.I. 2026/84), rules 1(2), 67 (with rule 1(3))

Commencement

I1: Sch. 1 rule 30 in force at 17.12.2021, see rule 1