Quiz: could you be an election returning officer?

Does this dog know more than you about elections? Illustration: Guardian Design

You’ve stayed up late watching every election you can remember. You’ve read all the manifestos. You’ve even been to hustings meetings to heckle your local candidates. But have you got what it takes to actually run an election? Find out how much you know about being a returning officer.

There’s no prize. As ever, it is just for fun. Let us know in the comments how you got on – and we look forward to the exciting debate about how the official roles of (acting) returning officer, returning officer and chief electoral officer differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the same election.

Could you be an election returning officer?

1. How much is the deposit if someone wants to stand for election as an MP?

   1. £50

   2. £500

   3. £5,000

2. Who is allowed to ask for a recount?

   1. The candidates and agents

   2. The media

   3. The police

3. During the counting process, ballot papers must be kept face upwards at all times. Why?

   1. To prevent votes made in pencil from smudging

   2. To prevent them being dropped on the floor

   3. To prevent the number and other unique identifying mark on the back from being seen

4. How quickly after polls close are you expected to start the count?

   1. One hour

   2. Two hours

   3. Four hours

5. 

   One of the jobs for the returning officer is to determine disputed ballots papers. What would you do with this one?

   1. Accept

   2. Reject

6. 

   This one?

   1. Accept

   2. Reject

7. If you want to be the first constituency to declare your vote, which is the one you usually need to beat?

   1. Houghton and Sunderland South

   2. North Tyneside

   3. Flydale North

8. If a candidate loses their deposit, where does the money have to be sent?

   1. Local council

   2. Donated to charity

   3. The Queen

9. 

   Would you accept this ballot paper?

   1. Accept

   2. Reject

10. 

    What about this one?

    1. Accept

    2. Reject

11. You spot someone posting a picture of their completed postal ballot on social media - clearly indicating how they have voted. What should you do?

    1. Nothing

    2. Report it to the social media platform to get it taken down

    3. Report it to the police

12. How long after a general election are you required to safely and securely store all the ballot papers

    1. Six months

    2. One year

    3. Three years

13. 

    More ballots papers now. Is this a good vote?

    1. Accept

    2. Reject

14. 

    How about this?

    1. Accept

    2. Reject

15. 

    What would you do with this one?

    1. Accept

    2. Reject

16. How many calendar days after the election do candidates have to submit their election expense report?

    1. 35

    2. 60

    3. 90

17. 

    One last ballot paper. Is this a yay or a nay?

    1. Accept

    2. Reject

18. 

    Is a horse allowed inside a polling station?

    1. Yes

    2. No

Solutions

1:B - It costs £500 to stand as an MP. You get the deposit back if you get at least 5% of the vote in the constituency. It is meant to deter novelty candidates. It doesn't., 2:A - Candidates and agents must be given the provisional results before any formal declaration, and given time to decide if they want to ask for a recount before the official result is declared. A returning officer is able to refuse an 'unreasonable' request for a recount., 3:C - Although UK elections are meant to be a secret ballot, in theory if you can get hold of the number on a ballot paper, and the list of who was assigned that ballot paper, you could trace a vote back to an individual. The security around the ballot boxes is to ensure that votes aren't tampered with, and that voters aren't identified., 4:C - If you don't start the count within four hours of polls closing you are obliged to report back to the Electoral Commission as to why. Due to geographic restrictions, some constituencies habitually don't start their count until the next day though, and are always on the naughty step., 5:A - Accept as a vote for Barber. The cross is in the box so the voting intention is clear, even if it has spilled a little into the box below., 6:A - The official guidance says accept this as a vote for Boots. I guess if you were Windy Miller's election agent you could try and argue they were giving Windy a 6/6 endorsement…, 7:A - Houghton and Sunderland South constituency (and its Sunderland South predecessor) was the first constituency to declare the result for six consecutive general elections, then in 2017’s election Newcastle Central pipped it by about seven minutes. Literally nobody in the country knows why this has become a thing. , 8:C - The rules explicitly state: "You must send any forfeited deposits to Her Majesty". In actual fact they end up in the Treasury's general all-purpose consolidated fund bank account. In 2017 some 1,568 candidates lost their deposit, netting the government £784,000., 9:B - This looks like a positive intention for two candidates, so it gets rejected., 10:B - While it seems clear that a vote for Barber was intended, the ballot paper contains personally identifying information, and so must be rejected., 11:A - It is perfectly fine for people to reveal themselves how they have voted in an election. It is only a problem if they reveal how somebody else has voted., 12:B - As well as other documentation generated by an election, you must store the ballot papers themselves for a year., 13:B - Reject this. You can see the point the voter is making though, feel bad about the lack of options in a first-past-the-post winner-takes-all electoral system, and then just quietly move on, 14:A - There's a lot going on here, but the Electoral Commission's doubtful ballot paper guidance says this should be accepted as a vote for Boots. , 15:A - The guidance says this is a clear indication that the voter wanted to elect Barber. The caveat - this would not be valid if there were two candidates called Barber on the ballot paper., 16:A - They get 35 days, unless the 35th day falls on a weekend or bank holiday, in which case they get the extra days to take it to a working day., 17:B - This is a rejection. It seems pretty clear that they've treated Barber differently to all the other candidates so probably intended to elect them - but they've used the voting mark for all the other candidates, so it shouldn't be accepted., 18:B - Official guidelines state that horses should be tethered outside polling stations. Spoilsports. Dogs are welcome inside, provided they do not cause a disturbance to the voting process. There doesn't appear to be any official guidance about other types of animals, so, you know, if you want to take your hamster to vote, it's fine. Unless it gets into the ballot box and starts eating the ballot papers we guess.

Scores

1. 13 and above.

   Good knowledge. We look forward to you improving and applying again for the inevitable April 2020 general election.

2. 6 and above.

   Decent effort, but I'm afraid we are going to want a more experienced candidate

3. 0 and above.

   It would be a bad day for democracy if you took on the role

4. 16 and above.

   Great result. You get the job, and we look forward to seeing you in action on the 12th

Answers and sample ballot papers are all taken from the Electoral Commission’s official guidance for returning officers.