Hens, lost engagement rings and other odd polling station stories

Unusual Polling Day Stories: Chickens, Lost Rings & More

Matilda, the hen, created a disturbance when she accidentally entered a Skelmersdale voting location.

On the day of the election, millions of people will be voting.

Approximately 150,000 workers will be operating 40,000 voting locations throughout the United Kingdom.

Election officials woke up very early knowing they would be working late into Friday after counting all the votes.

Running elections is a huge responsibility and should be taken seriously, but here are some fun anecdotes from the less serious aspects of the process.

Taking photos of dogs at polling places has become a popular and expected activity on election day.

We are accustomed to seeing dogs at polling stations.

Two council employees, Sara Chane and Lindsey Carroll, were present at the voting location in Skelmersdale, Lancashire in May 2021 for the nearby elections when a chicken unexpectedly strolled in.

Alone and without a proper voter ID, Sara and Lindsey started searching for the owner of the chicken. They even asked for assistance from a flower shop nearby, all while still managing the polling station.

"Please come in, ignore the chicken," Lindsey assured the voters.

"Sara mentioned that she was extremely beautiful and very approachable," she said.

Finally, a farming family stepped in and agreed to remove the chicken until its original owner could be found.

Shortly after that, a young child of five arrived searching for his furry companion, whom he referred to as Matilda.

"What Have We Achieved?"

Lindsey started a frantic search to bring the boy back to Matilda, worried that the curious bird may have been mistakenly given to farmers who raise chickens.

"We were really worried," Lindsey exclaimed. "Did we give this chicken to someone who will harm her?"

In the end, Matilda was found and returned to her original owners. However, the bird went through some more distress before being reunited.

Matilda, as it turned out, had been put in a cage with several other chickens who had ganged up on her and physically attacked her with pecks.

The happy owners brought their pet chicken back home and washed her, while Lindsey and Sara continued with their responsibilities.

Some time later, Matilda's family came back to the voting place with chocolates and a dish of eggs to show their gratitude to the people who assisted them in finding their escaped bird.

Not only chickens show up at polling stations as unexpected visitors.

Peter Stanyon, head of the Association of Electoral Administrators, shared a story from the south-west of England where a voter was on a search.

When they spotted the polling station, they realized that fighting for democracy was a top priority. They immediately rode their horse towards the polling station.

Sometimes, the voting areas can become calm and undisturbed.

However, employees manage to find ways to occupy themselves.

Peter recalls a situation in Merseyside where a worker ran into some issues after agreeing to fill in as Santa Claus at a children's Christmas party last minute, while there was a break in their regular duties. The party took place in the room above the polling station.

He believed he had successfully avoided detection, but was caught off guard when the next individual to sit on his lap was a council official conducting an inspection of the polling station.

In Wakefield, a woman unintentionally let go of her £40,000 engagement ring into the ballot box while casting her vote.

Once the ballot box is closed, it cannot be opened again until the votes are counted.

This meant that the unlucky woman who was going to get married had to arrive at the courthouse hours later and wait for the box to be opened.

Peter described the ring as precious, but he emphasized that democracy is even more important.

The regulation that says a ballot box cannot be opened has negative effects on both election workers and engaged couples.

Around 15 years ago, ballot boxes were sealed with wax. Sometimes the heat from the wax would cause smouldering.

Election workers at the polling station were unable to unlock the box containing the ballots to extinguish a fire. They had to come up with a solution to introduce liquid into the box to douse the flames without compromising the integrity of the votes.

"We're The Elves"

Many times, it is not the ballot papers that are destroyed by fire, but rather the voters themselves.

Tom Lynan has worked as a manager for electoral services in West Lancashire for the past nine years.

He claims that it is common to see offensive language and crude drawings on voting ballots.

In past elections for police and crime commissioners, Tom mentioned that voters often chose to list Batman or Commissioner Gordon as their backup choices.

He also mentions that his sister-in-law jokingly threatened to spoil Game of Thrones episodes on her ballot paper, knowing he would have to read it before bed.

Even though Tom faces a specific difficulty in his job, he still finds satisfaction in it. He mentions that he takes pride in his ability to help ensure democracy for the residents of the borough.

He explains that throughout history, individuals have organized demonstrations and battles to secure the privilege of voting, and now it is our responsibility to safeguard the system that serves as the bedrock of this nation and its principles.

The day before Election Day is like the night before a big holiday, where we are the busy helpers getting everything ready for the big event. Instead of gifts, we are working to make sure the election goes smoothly.