Elections Officer

• Permanent, full time (37 hours per week)
• 30 days' annual leave (in addition to Bank Holidays)

• Are you passionate about public service and ready to play a vital role in the democratic process? Join one of the UK’s largest electoral service teams as an Elections Officer and help ensure fair, efficient, and accessible elections across Somerset.

As an Elections Officer, you’ll be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of electoral functions, working across electoral registration and elections/polls. You’ll support the planning and delivery of elections for a defined area, sometimes a Parliamentary constituency, and take direct responsibility for aspects of the registration function. At peak times, such as major election events, you’ll work additional and unsociable hours to meet legal deadlines and uphold the integrity of the process.

You’ll also:

• Lead on full-term elections, by-elections, referenda, and other polls from planning to result declaration
• Book and manage polling stations, ensuring accessibility and compliance with equalities legislation
• Oversee postal vote processes and train casual staff
• Support the annual canvass, rolling registration, and maintenance of the electoral register
• Engage with the electorate to increase registration and participation
• Recruit and train casual staff for elections and canvass
• Liaise with political parties, providing advice and maintaining political neutrality
• Ensure compliance with statutory frameworks, Electoral Commission guidance, and best practice
• Contribute to budget planning, cost recovery, and financial controls
• Supervise and support agency and casual staff

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Have awareness of risks in delivering major electoral events and project management benefits
• Have experience using various software packages, ideally election management software although training can be given
• Have the ability to work at pace and use own initiative
• Have the ability to motivate and supervise temporary staff
• Pay strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Have the ability to work to deadlines and under pressure
• Use sound judgment and operational decision-making within legal frameworks
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills, including in high-pressure situations

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

The salary for this role is Somerset Grade 11, £32,597 - £36,363 per annum.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

You’ll be part of a dedicated team that places the electorate at the heart of everything it does, driving continuous improvement and delivering best value. If you’re ready to contribute to the democratic process and thrive in a dynamic, high-impact environment, we want to hear from you!

Apply today and help shape the future of democracy in Somerset.