Polling place

Last updated

A polling station situated inside a suburban library in the north of Cambridge during the 2005 United Kingdom general election PollingStation UK 2005.jpg
A polling station situated inside a suburban library in the north of Cambridge during the 2005 United Kingdom general election

A polling place [1] is where voters cast their ballots in elections. The phrase polling station is also used in American English [1] and British English, [2] although polling place is the building [3] and polling station is the specific room [3] (or part of a room) where voters cast their votes. A polling place can contain one or more polling stations. [3]

Contents

Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are usually located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports halls, local government offices, or even private homes, and may each serve a similar number of people. The area may be known as a ward, precinct, polling district, or constituency. The polling place is staffed by officials (who may be called election judges, returning officers, or other titles) who monitor the voting procedures and assist voters with the election process. Scrutineers (or poll-watchers) are independent or partisan observers who attend the poll to ensure the impartiality of the process.

The facility will be open between specified hours depending on the type of election, and political activity by or on behalf of those standing in the ballot is usually prohibited within the venue and immediately surrounding area.

Inside the polling place will be an area (usually a voting booth) where the voter may select the candidate or party of their choice in secret. If a ballot paper is used, this will be placed into a ballot box in front of witnesses who cannot see for whom the vote has been cast. Voting machines may be employed instead.

Some polling places are temporary structures. A portable cabin may be specially sited for an election and removed afterwards.

There are five types of voting technologies that are currently being used in the United States polling locations. These comprise hand-counted paper ballots, mechanical lever machines, punch cards, optically readable paper ballots, and electronic voting machines. [4] One of the reasons for a tendency toward witnessed final posting or transacting physical systems yet retaining the secret ballot is to reduce electoral fraud. [4]

Voting booth

New York polling place circa 1900, showing voting booths on the left. 1900 New York polling place.jpg
New York polling place circa 1900, showing voting booths on the left.
Voting booths used for L'Ordre des Avocats de Paris (Paris Bar Association) 2007 election. Voting booths.png
Voting booths used for L’Ordre des Avocats de Paris (Paris Bar Association) 2007 election.

A voting booth or polling booth (in British English) [5] is a room or cabin in a polling station where voters are able to cast their vote in private to protect the secrecy of the ballot. [6] [7] Commonly the entrance to the voting booth is a retractable curtain. Usually access to the voting booth is restricted to a single person, with exceptions for voters requiring assistance. The booths aren't in all states but some, as others use a form of mailing.

Voting machines generally use either a voting booth or some other form of privacy cover to obscure voters from the view of others.

History

The word "poll" means "scalp" or "head". When votes were taken by gathering people together and counting heads, the place where this was done (sometimes an open field) was called the "polls". [8] [9]

Polling places used to gather and count ballots in elections have changed significantly over the past 250 years. [10] Advances in technology have played a major role in changing the polling places because as the type of ballot changed, the venue in which the ballots are counted also changed. [10] One of the main reasons for advancement was to be able to access the results quicker. First was the word ballot, then came the different types of paper ballots, and today we have the electronic balloting systems.

Before there were paper ballots, people would simply call out their selection at the polling place. This polling place was typically the county courthouse or town hall. [10] Sometimes these polls were taken outside of the venue in a more informal fashion. When the voters came to the town hall to announce their choice, they would get in line to see the judge and swear in. [10] Voters would swear an oath to the judge on a Bible and be allowed to cast one ballot per election. [10] The judge acted as the only form of voter identification and it was up to them to be able to identify individuals that had already voted and exclude them from voting again. [10]

The use of paper and electronic ballots have been the most widely used form of capturing votes in recent history. [10] When paper or electronic ballots are used, the polling place must be professionally organized in order to ensure that the ballots are not tampered with and are accounted for accurately. [10] These polls are held inside a building that has been set up in stations to assist voters. When the voter arrives, they will be asked to show a form of voter identification (Photo ID is required in most European countries and in some US states). [10] [11] Properly identified votes would go to a voting booth where the votes are captured. After all votes were captured, voters could examine the voting ticket before submitting the ballot to the poll worker, in a ballot box, or on the computerized ballot. [10]

Polling location effects

The building where the polling location is sited can have a significant effect on the results of the poll. [12] Research shows that polling location may influence how a voter casts their ballot. [13] This subtle unknown factor can be significant and can sway a close election. [13] Individuals may be influenced to behave in a certain way based on environmental cues, [13] i.e., an object or place that can influence a voter's behavior; [13] for example, the condition of the building, the name of the building, the ordinary use of the building, or the building decor. [13] Researchers have spent much time considering what makes people vote the way they do; they have found that the smallest of changes can have large effects.

Waiting times at polling places have also been a problem in the US. [14] This has become such a controversial topic that even President Obama in his State of the Union Address on 12 February 2013 mentioned the need to decrease waiting times. [14] He went on to say that it is the duty of Americans to make sure that everyone has not only the right to vote but the opportunity to vote without having to wait several hours in line. [14]

Building usage

The building used as the polling place has a significant effect on how an individual votes. For example, voting inside a school building, a citizen might be more likely to vote for those in favor of school systems and education. [13] This is especially true if the school building you are voting in is in need of general improvement and/or renovation. [13] This environmental cue may give a voter firsthand knowledge of what needs there may be in a particular setting. [13] Similarly, voting in a church or parish hall, a citizen might be less likely to vote in favor of stem cell research. [13] These cues give a person a sense of satisfaction for voting one way or another in the moment, regardless if that was the way they intended to vote in the first place. [13]

Distance to voting location

The cost of voting influences whether or not a person will vote. Research shows that the more expensive voting gets, the less likely a person is to vote. [15] Distance to the polling location is one of the main reasons cost can become an issue for voters. [15] Minor changes in distance from voters' homes to polling place can change the turnout of voters, which may change the outcome of a close election. [16] Distance to the polling place is an issue if not every voter has access to vehicle transportation. [15] According to the research on distance to the polling location by Haspel and Knotts, "To illustrate the range of the effect of distance, we plot our predicted probabilities at the lower and upper bounds of our continuous vehicle available variable. When no one owns a car (vehicle available = 0), the likelihood of voting drops from .664 at a distance of .01 miles [16 m] to .418 at the median distance of .69 miles [1,110 m]. When automobiles are universally available (vehicle available = 1), voters are much less sensitive to changes in distance: the likelihood of voting drops from .444 to .392 over the same distance range". [15] Voters ultimately value the convenience of polling locations. If a poll is accessible to the citizen they will make an effort, if the citizen has to travel a long distance then voter turnout decreases dramatically". [15]

Redistricting

If a voter changes precincts due to redistricting, then the chances of their continuing to vote in future elections decreases. [15] The confusion that redistricting causes will deter the voter from looking into the new precinct where he or she should now vote. [15] In addition, the informational costs associated with alerting voters of their new polling location will also affect the voter turnout because it is highly unlikely that funds will be available to allocate to ensure that every voter knows where to vote. [15] Redistricting can be beneficial in order to provide a convenient location, but careful consideration should be taken before such a decision is made.

Openness and centralization

If voters are allowed to vote at any of a number of different locations in the county or district etc., this will increase voter turnout. [4] Sometimes, a voter's most convenient voting location is near his or her workplace, not necessarily the closest to their residence. [4] Having a more open policy of allowing multiple possible locations for a person to vote would encourage those individuals who cannot feasibly commute back and forth from work to vote, assuming the day of election is not a mandatory day off. [4] Having a large conspicuous polling location will ensure that the voters know where they are supposed to vote. [4] This will cut down on unnecessary signage and eliminate clutter and confusion. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voting</span> Method for a group to make a collective decision or express an opinion

Voting is a method by which a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, can engage for the purpose of making a collective decision or expressing an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holders of high office by voting. Residents of a jurisdiction represented by an elected official are called "constituents," and the constituents who choose to cast a ballot for their chosen candidate are called "voters." There are different systems for collecting votes, but while many of the systems used in decision-making can also be used as electoral systems, any which cater for proportional representation can only be used in elections.

A voting machine is a machine used to record votes in an election without paper. The first voting machines were mechanical but it is increasingly more common to use electronic voting machines. Traditionally, a voting machine has been defined by its mechanism, and whether the system tallies votes at each voting location, or centrally. Voting machines should not be confused with tabulating machines, which count votes done by paper ballot.

The Australian electoral system comprises the laws and processes used for the election of members of the Australian Parliament and is governed primarily by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. The system presently has a number of distinctive features including compulsory enrolment; compulsory voting; majority-preferential instant-runoff voting in single-member seats to elect the lower house, the House of Representatives; and the use of the single transferable vote proportional representation system to elect the upper house, the Senate.

Electronic voting is voting that uses electronic means to either aid or take care of casting and counting ballots.

Norway elects its legislature on a national level. The parliament, the Storting, has 169 members elected for a four-year term by a form of proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret ballot</span> Anonymous voting method

The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote buying. This system is one means of achieving the goal of political privacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic voting in India</span> Component of Indian electoral system

Electronic voting is the standard means of conducting elections using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in India. The system was developed and tested by the state-owned Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Electronics in the 1990s. They were introduced in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001, in a phased manner. Prior to the introduction of electronic voting, India used paper ballots and manual counting. The paper ballots method was widely criticised because of fraudulent voting and booth capturing, where party loyalists captured booths and stuffed them with pre-filled fake ballots. The printed paper ballots were also more expensive, requiring substantial post-voting resources to count hundreds of millions of individual ballots. Embedded EVM features such as "electronically limiting the rate of casting votes to five per minute", a security "lock-close" feature, an electronic database of "voting signatures and thumb impressions" to confirm the identity of the voter, conducting elections in phases over several weeks while deploying extensive security personnel at each booth have helped reduce electoral fraud and abuse, eliminate booth capturing and create more competitive and fairer elections. Indian EVMs are stand-alone machines built with once write, read-only memory. The EVMs are produced with secure manufacturing practices, and by design, are self-contained, battery-powered and lack any networking capability. They do not have any wireless or wired internet components and interface. The M3 version of the EVMs includes the VVPAT system.

An election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited the polling stations. A similar poll conducted before actual voters have voted is called an entrance poll. Pollsters – usually private companies working for newspapers or broadcasters – conduct exit polls to gain an early indication as to how an election has turned out, as in many elections the actual result may take hours to count.

An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station to which the voter is normally allocated. Methods include voting at a different location, postal voting, proxy voting and online voting. Increasing the ease of access to absentee ballots is seen by many as one way to improve voter turnout through convenience voting, though some countries require that a valid reason, such as infirmity or travel, be given before a voter can participate in an absentee ballot. Early voting overlaps with absentee voting. Early voting includes votes cast before the official election day(s), by mail, online or in-person at voting centers which are open for the purpose. Some places call early in-person voting a form of "absentee" voting, since voters are absent from the polling place on election day.

Early voting, also called advance polling or pre-poll voting, is a convenience voting process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled election day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as via postal voting, or in person, usually in designated early voting polling stations. The availability and time periods for early voting vary among jurisdictions and types of election. The goals of early voting are usually to increase voter participation, relieve congestion at polling stations on election day, and avoid possible discrimination against people with work and travel schedules that may effectively prohibit them from getting to the polls during the hours provided in a single election day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postal voting</span> Voting, election, ballot papers, distributed to electors or returned by post, mail

Postal voting is voting in an election where ballot papers are distributed to electors by post, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system.

India has a parliamentary system as defined by its constitution, with power distributed between the central government and the states.

Elections in Israel are based on nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is currently set at 3.25%, with the number of seats a party receives in the Knesset being proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Knesset is elected for a four-year term, although most governments have not served a full term and early elections are a frequent occurrence. Israel has a multi-party system based on coalition governments as no party has ever won a majority of seats in a national election, although the Alignment briefly held a majority following its formation by an alliance of several different parties prior to the 1969 elections. Suffrage is universal to all Israeli citizens above the age of 18. Israeli citizens living abroad have to travel to Israel in order to vote. Voting booths are made available on Israeli ships. Elections are overseen by the Central Elections Committee, and are held according to the Knesset Elections Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General elections in Singapore</span> Elections to the Parliament of Singapore

General elections in Singapore must be held within three months after five years have elapsed from the date of the first sitting of a particular Parliament of Singapore, as per the Constitution. However, Parliament can also be dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister before the five-year period elapses. The number of constituencies or electoral divisions is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act, which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teller (elections)</span> Person who counts the votes in an election, vote, referendum or poll

A teller is a person who counts votes in an election, vote, referendum or poll. Tellers are also known as scrutineers, poll-watchers, challengers or checkers.

The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEHA) P.L. 98-435, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1973ee–1973ee-6, is a United States law passed in 1984 that mandates easy access for handicapped and elderly person to voter registration and polling places during Federal elections

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of the procedure of elections in the United Kingdom

There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, local elections, mayoral elections, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Within each of those categories, there may also be by-elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday, and under the provisions of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 the timing of general elections can be held at the discretion of the Prime Minister during any five-year period. All other types of elections are held after fixed periods, though early elections to the devolved assemblies and parliaments can occur in certain situations. The five electoral systems used are: the single member plurality system (first-past-the-post), the multi-member plurality system, the single transferable vote, the additional member system, and the supplementary vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voter identification laws</span> Laws requiring proof of identity to vote

A voter identification law is a law that requires a person to show some form of identification in order to vote. In some jurisdictions requiring photo IDs, voters who do not have photo ID often must have their identity verified by someone else or sign a Challenged Voter Affidavit in order to receive a ballot to vote.

Absentee voting in the United Kingdom is allowed by proxy or post for any elector.

Convenience voting is any form of voting that does not occur on the day of the election at the voting precinct. This may involve changing the timing of voting so that it still occurs at the polling place, but not on election day, or changing the location of voting so that it still occurs on election day, but not at the polling place. It can also mean changing both the location and timing of voting.

References

  1. 1 2 "polling place - definition of polling booth in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "polling station - definition of polling station in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Handbook for polling station staff, Accessed 14 September 2014
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stein, Robert; Vonnahme, Greg (September 2012). "When, Where, and How We Vote: Does it Matter?". 93 (3). Houston, TX: Southwestern Social Science Association: 692–712.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ↑ "Oxford Dictionaries". Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Voting at a Polling Place". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Voting in person". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Polling & Democracy: An Uneasy Relationship | On the Media". WNYC.
  9. ↑ Lepore, Jill (9 November 2015). "Are Polls Ruining Democracy?" – via www.newyorker.com.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Douglas W. Jones (2003). "A Brief Illustrated History of Voting" . Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Voter Identification Requirements | Voter ID Laws". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  12. ↑ Jack Penland (23 June 2008). "Voting Influence" . Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jonah Berger; Marc Meredith (1 June 2008). "Can Polling Location Influence How Voters Vote?" . Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 Scott Leiendecker (14 February 2013). "Answer President Obama's call for shorter lines at the Polling Place". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Haspel, Moshe; Knotts, Gibbs (May 2005). "Location, Location, Location: Precinct Placement and the Costs of Voting". 67 (2). United States of America: Southern Political Science Association: 560–573.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ↑ Tom Jacobs; Miller-McCune (19 August 2010). "How Polling Places Can Affect Your Vote". Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.