The Canadian E-Day worker checklist!

[Lisa]

If you are helping Elections Canada or one of the parties tomorrow (or are just curious), here are some helpful tips. Feel free to add in!

Comfortable shoes

Cushion or backrest (if you have back problems etc., since you'll be sitting for a long time)

Clothing that isn't in the colours of any of the major parties (blue, red, orange, green) -- blue jeans or dark navy are okay, but anything that's really bright attention-getting hues may be disallowed; earth tones are a safe bet

Cell phone (especially if you're working for one of the parties -- helpful for calling HQ in case of problems, or phoning in the results after the count) -- you'll have to step out of the polling place to use it, though

Notebook and pens/pencils, for logging potential problems (a spare pencil is good, if the polling station runs out -- though they won't accept anything in party colours)

Snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic only, sorry!) in case you're there for a long time (and someone forgets to send in food)

Some loonies and twonies, in case the staff and scrutineers decide to get together and order a pizza (see above)

Some Kleenex (for crying into if your party loses -- and also, to use as toilet paper if the washroom at the polling station runs out)

Reading material (non-political -- no magazines or newspapers, though the sports section is probably okay)


Did I miss anything?

[MiwSher]

1. Aspirin? :)

I just went to an orientation session today. I'll be a scrutineer on E-Day and something tells me I'm gonna have a big headache when it's all done. :D

MiwSher

[IntravenousDemilo]

2. Cell-phones for scrutineers within the pollng area are prohibited by law.

Ordinary voters can use them, though, and so can Elections Canada officials (like me), but not the representatives of the candidates. I was all zero-tolerance on that one yesterday. I run a tight, non-partisan ship.

[Lisa]

3. turned off, packed away, and only used outside of the polling area?

We were told that it was okay to bring them -- but not to use or have them in view, in the polling area -- since having one that started ringing would be counted as a disturbance. I used mine for one (outgoing) call, after the results had been confirmed, and I still went out into the parking lot -- there were no pay phones accessible in the building after hours. The other scrutineers weren't as careful -- one lady actually answered her phone while she was at the poll she was monitoring, and she still wasn't asked to leave.

p.s. I imagine that you are stricter than the EC officials at my assigned polling place yesterday (one of whom was walking around with a copy of the local newspaper's front section, including campaign headlines).