1. WELCOME TO THE
WELCOME T THE
WELCOME TO THE
Developed by the

2. INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS
The Election Toolkit has been designed for you and your students to explore
the process of voting and elections.
It’s a handy all-in-one kit to help you
run your own election. It includes most
of the props you will need.
Downloadable versions of all documents
are available online. Please visit
parliament.uk/electiontoolkit
We hope that the toolkit will demystify the election process and encourage students to consider our democratic rights in the UK.
The toolkit is designed to be intuitive and experiential; flexible in use and reusable. A brief user manual is also included in the kit.
This PowerPoint presentation has been created as a basic guide to take you through the process. An election can be run in a minimum of two lessons or a double period or it can be extended in stages over a longer period of time. You may want to print out individual slides for your students’ reference.
Please feel free to adapt to your own style and needs. Let us know what you’ve done with the kit. We welcome your feedback and hope you enjoy using it.
us with your feedback on
Now get started!
*Underlined words can be found in the Glossary of Terms at the end of this Presentation

3. 18 16 12 WELCOME TO YOUR ELECTION TOOLKIT
In May 2015, a General Election will
be held in the UK.
In an election, citizens aged 18 and over can choose to vote for a candidate to represent them and their constituency in Parliament. Those elected Candidates become MPs.
The right to vote in an election is the heartbeat of our democracy and the act
of placing a vote is a momentous
and empowering experience. 18 16 12

4. THE TOOLKIT Parliament has created an Election Toolkit
to enable you to experience the lead up
to and the process of an election.
The toolkit includes all of the props you need to replicate the real thing in 10 clear steps. Everyone will have a role in making the election happen.

5. THE TOOLKIT In your Ballot Box you’ll find: Stickers to brand your box
Security Seals
Ballot Papers
Electoral Registers
Poll Cards
Poll Station Sign
Officials’ Lanyards
Team stickers
Rosettes for party leaders
Pin Badges for members
Manifesto Posters
Policy Cards and
a Stamp to make all of your paperwork official!

6. RUN YOUR ELECTION IN TEN STEPS

7. STEP 1 — REGISTER TO VOTE
STEP 1
To take part in an election every eligible citizen can register to vote either by returning a registration card they receive from their local council or online.
Before you start, in the toolkit you will find
an Electoral Register. Pass the register round and encourage everyone to fill in their details.
Remember, if you’re not registered
you can’t vote.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 2 — VOTER PROFILES

8. STEP 2 — VOTER PROFILES
STEP 2
Before we get started, it’s time to think about a very important participant in an election; the VOTER!
Take a moment to reflect on yourself
and the community you live in and
on the country as a whole.
Doing this will help you decide who you might vote for in your election.
— What issues motivate you or concern you?
Transport, innovation and business or international
development for example?
— What change would you like to see in your local area
or country as a whole?
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES

9. 1 candidate for each party
STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES
STEP 3
Everyone has a part to play in this election.
Please divide up into the following teams
and discuss your roles and responsibilities.
Party Teams
4 x candidates + teams
Polling Station Teams
Registrar + team
Polling Officer + team
Chief Counter + team
Polling Station Manager + team
All the students in class that registered
are also voters.
4 party candidates
1 candidate for each party
1 registrar
+ TEAM
1 polling station
manager
1 chief counter
1 polling officer
Party TEAM
MEMBERS
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES: DIVISION

10. STEP 3 — ASSIGNING ROLES: DIVISION
The class should now divide into two. The class
will now work in Party teams and Polling Station teams to work towards the election.
You will be working on your roles and responsibilities at the same time as each other so it is important
you are clear on what you are doing.
Polling Station teams can begin to prepare
for the election using their lanyard instructions,
while Party teams can complete their manifestos following upcoming directions.
If preferred, all students can stay together as instructions for both teams are read out across the following slides.
Party teams collect their rosettes, badges and spare stickers
if needed and will create their manifestos using the Policy Cards provided.
Polling Station teams will collect
their Lanyards with instructions and
team member stickers, then complete official paperwork and prepare
the Polling Station.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 4 — PARTIES

11. STEP 4 — PARTIES When we vote in an election we vote for
a candidate representing our constituency. Each candidate will fight the election
on a manifesto – a set of ideas and policies that a political party sets out to achieve
if they get into power. Although candidates can stand as independents.
Party teams will now create their
own manifesto using the Manifesto Poster Template and Policy Cards.
Before you start ensure that the party candidates are wearing
their Rosette and the team members are wearing their
Badges or Stickers!
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 5 — MANIFESTO

12. STEP 5 — MANIFESTO
STEP 5
Each party will receive 12 Policy Cards. Each policy is drawn from a set of topics such as Education, Transport, Health etc.
Study your selection in detail.
Using debate and discussion narrow down your policies to just 3 — the ones you think are most important to the party.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION

13. STEP 5 — MANIFESTO
STEP 5
Each party will receive 12 Policy Cards. Each policy is drawn from a set of topics such as Education, Transport, Health etc.
Study your selection in detail.
Using debate and discussion narrow down your policies to just 3 — the ones you think are most important to the party.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION

14. STEP 5 — MANIFESTO Your final selection of 3 policies makes
a completed manifesto.
Have a discussion as a group about what makes your manifesto stand out. This will help you present your policies to the electorate later on in the process.
Make sure you attach your policies to the Manifesto Poster Template provided.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION

15. MEANWHILE......
MEANWHILE…
MEANWHILE…

16. STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
By now the Polling Station team should be aware of their roles and are setting-up an election in the space provided.
Just in case; team instructions are on the back of the Officials’ lanyards and an overview of tasks can be found on the next slide too.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — ROLES DESCRIPTIONS

17. STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
Registrar team
Complete Poll Cards using voter details from the Electoral Register.
Stamp each Poll Card when complete to confirm it is ‘official’.
Distribute Poll Cards to the electorate.
At election, the Registrar will sign off voters as they arrive using Electoral Register.
Polling Officer team
Complete the Ballot Papers, adding the candidate details.
Prepare the Ballot Box by applying the four Party Stickers.
Complete the information panels on each side of the box.
At election, the Polling Officer will hand out Ballot Papers.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 6 — MORE ROLES DESCRIPTIONS

18. STEP 6 — THE POLLING STATION
Chief Counter team
Ensure the Ballot Box is empty and seal it.
Create forms to record the results – one for each counter.
After the vote is complete, break the seal on the box. Each counter must count the votes and record their numbers on their form.
The Chief Counter must check the forms to verify the count and supply final figures to Returning Officer.
Polling Station Manager team
Find a suitable private area for the Polling Booth.
Create a Polling Booth using card and provide pens.
Put up Polling Station poster.
Set-up a table for the Registrar and Polling Officer to sit at.
At election, the Polling Station Manager must ensure all voters queue in an orderly fashion.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 7 — PRESENTING MANIFESTOS

19. THE CLASS SHOULD NOW RE-GROUP
MEANWHILE......
THE CLASS SHOULD NOW RE-GROUP
THE CLASS SHOULD NOW RE-GROUP

20. STEP 7 — PRESENTING MANIFESTOS
Before we vote in an election we will
have heard about what parties intend
to do in power via candidates canvassing for our vote door-to-door, online or via election broadcasts. This information helps us make a decision about who we might vote for.
Each party candidate has 3 minutes
to present their Manifesto Poster
to the class and canvass for votes!
3 MINUTES
3 MINUTES
3 MINUTES
3 MINUTES
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 8 — TIME TO VOTE

21. STEP 8 — TIME TO VOTE
STEP 8
The Chief Registrar and Polling Officer should take their seats at a table with the Electoral Register.
The rest of the class, the electorate, will now line
up to vote, remembering to bring their Poll Card
and to vote in privacy!
Each voter must present their Poll Card to
the Chief Registrar who will check them off
the Electoral Register. The Polling Officer will
hand them a Ballot Paper. Meanwhile the
Station Manager will ensure voters queue
in an orderly fashion.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 9 — COUNTING THE VOTE

22. STEP 9 — COUNTING THE VOTE
The Counting Team now have the responsibility
of emptying the Ballot Box and counting the votes.
The Security Seal is broken and all the papers
are taken out and divided into piles according
to the cross in the box.
Each pile is then counted to get the initial figure
of how many votes each candidate has. Each counter
should take and record a count to ensure accuracy.
WHAT’S NEXT: STEP 10 — RESULTS

23. STEP 10 — RESULTS A final count is verified by the Chief Counters
and the results can be announced in alphabetical order
by the Returning Officer. We suggest this is your teacher.
The candidate with the largest amount of votes
is the winner!
The winning candidate gets to make an acceptance speech, usually thanking the electorate and promising
to uphold the manifesto.
What happens if there’s a draw?
Under Electoral Commission guidelines, in the event of a tie between
two candidates, the returning officer must decide between the candidates by the addition of an extra vote decided by the drawing of lots.
STEP 10

24. What’s next? ? What’s next?
Now that you have completed your election, here are some questions to consider:
How did it feel to take part in your election?
What are your thoughts on the outcome of the vote?
What activities or further learning could you now do as a class based on your election experience?
If any teams undertook research during the session, why not share your findings with your class?
When will you be eligible to vote? Remember, you can register from the age of 16 by post or online –
Find out more about Parliament and the election process –

25. running your own election!
We hope you enjoyed
running your own election!
Let us know what you think about the kit;
us on
and also send us some photos of the kit
in action!
Developed by the