Election judge

Election officials or tellers are people who spend the ballots at the polling stations, the proper choice of the citizens to make sure then count out the ballots and determine the election result in the connection for the local. In Germany and Switzerland, this is an honorary post. Election officials or tellers are sought in Germany and Switzerland on a voluntary basis or determined by the local election authority and obligation. Election workers will be paid an allowance ( refreshment money).

Germany

Term

Election officials are not to be confused with campaign workers. Campaign workers support parties and politicians before the election Promote their party, while election workers to help at the polling station in the conduct of the election and there may not advertise for parties. The Duden explains the term with two meanings.

Composition of an Electoral Board

At the election committee include:

By way of derogation regulates businesses in the Works Constitution Act, the composition of the Electoral Board, consisting of only 3 people ( an election chairman and two electoral boards ) exists.

The Electoral Officer is not to be confused with a returning officer, whose authority - organized as a whole usually the responsible Statistical Office, the choice - in the case of the National Election or Federal Returning Officer. The Electoral Officer directs the overall activities of the Electoral Board; in his absence the Deputy takes over this election superintendent. For decisions of the Electoral Board, the majority of all members present. In tie, the vote of the electoral superintendent decides. Neither the presiding officer nor any other member of the Electoral Board is bound by the instructions of the Returning Officer of the next higher organ. The Returning Officer along with the appropriate committee, however, can explain certain decisions of the Electoral Board to be invalid or until the decision of the Appeals Committee temporarily invalid.

The Electoral Board as electoral body

Depending on the choice, there are various electoral bodies. The Electoral Board, together with the Electoral Officer one of them.

The institutions for the general election are:

• The Federal Returning Officer and the Federal Election Committee for the electoral area,
• A state returning officer and a provincial election committee for each country,
• A district returning officer and a district election committee for each constituency,
• A presiding officer and an election officer for each electoral district and
• At least one presiding officer and an election officer for each constituency to determine the postal ballot result

The Federal Returning Officer and his deputy are appointed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the provincial election supervisor, district returning officer and electoral officer and the deputy chairperson of the national government. In practice, the state government delegates the task of calling the election superintendent and his deputy the communities.

In local elections exist significantly less electoral bodies. These are:

• A returning officer and election committee for the municipal elections and an election supervisor and a selection committee for the county elections
• A presiding officer and an election officer for each constituency,
• One or more letter Electoral Officer and absentee voting board members.

Admission to the election board

As election officials all persons are authorized in Germany who are eligible to vote on election day. As a result, depending on the type of choice, a different group of people:

• In local elections: German and EU citizens ( EU citizens ) from 18 years ( in some states over 16 years )
• When federal and state elections: German from 18 years ( in state elections in some states over 16 years )
• In European elections: German and EU citizens aged 18 years

Election officials as honorary

Election officials are appointed by the elected office of the respective municipality. This volunteering is an important civic duty, which may be refused only for important reasons. Reasons for rejection are mentioned in the electoral regulations for each choice, there are, for example, the care of minors or other dependents, own illness, mandatory occupational prevention or the completion of the 65th year ( see, for example for the parliamentary elections § 9 of the Federal Electoral Code ).

Preference is given to poll workers who voluntarily sign up for this volunteering.

Frequently public servants are appointed after notification by the department. Depending on the department and office bekleidetem this partially working is well written.

For their efforts, the assistants will receive an allowance ( refreshment money), which may vary by state or local authority and choice type ( European, federal or municipal ) vary.

Election committee at the Works and Staff Council election

Even with elections to employees' representations ( council election, staff council election ) ballot boards are ordered. The details are given in the Works Constitution Act, together with electoral rules, the relevant Staff Committee Act and the regulations made ​​thereunder choice. However, the terms have a different meaning here: The Electoral Board directs the operation of constitutional and staff representation rights in the choice correspondence to the Returning Officer in political elections. The Electoral Board may then appoint other election officers, provided in the sequence, for example, on election day at the polling station service, just as practiced in political elections, the Election Committee of the polling station.

Austria

In Austria, the Election Committee "Election Authority". It consists of a Returning Officer (or his deputy ) and assessors (or your spare assessors ). Unlike in Germany, the representative is not at the same time assessors.

The office of member of an election authority is a public volunteering.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, there are volunteer vote counters. At the community level examines these the council.