Editing Polling station

{{distinguish|text = [[voting house]], a specific type of polling station in the United States}}
{{Short description|Place where voters cast their ballots in elections}}
{{Globalise|article|United Kingdom|2name=the United Kingdom|date=December 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2022}}
[[Image:PollingStation UK 2005.jpg|thumb|A polling station situated inside a suburban library in the north of [[Cambridge]] during the [[2005 United Kingdom general election]]]]
{{voting}}
A '''polling place'''<ref name="USAdefinition1">{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/polling-place|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026093751/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/polling-place|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 October 2013|title=polling place – definition of polling booth in English|website=Oxford Dictionaries|access-date=29 October 2014}}</ref> is where [[vote]]rs cast their [[ballot]]s in [[election]]s. The phrase '''polling station''' is also used in [[American English]]<ref name="USAdefinition1"/> and [[British English]],<ref name="UKdefinition1">{{cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/polling_station|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925104141/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/polling_station|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 September 2016|title=polling station – definition of polling station in English|website=Oxford Dictionaries|access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref> although a ''' polling place''' is the building<ref name="hfpss">{{cite web |url=http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=58768&sID=25275 |title=Handbook for polling station staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005203644/http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=58768&sID=25275 |archive-date=5 October 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=14 September 2014}}</ref> and '''polling station''' is the specific room<ref name="hfpss"/> (or part of a room) where voters cast their votes. A polling place can contain one or more polling stations.<ref name="hfpss"/> In [[Australian English]], "polling place" and "polling centre" are used. Americans also use the term '''voting precinct''' in some states.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Secretary Of State – Voting Precincts |url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/voting-precincts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826034258/https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/voting-precincts/ |archive-date=26 August 2024 |access-date=16 September 2024 |website=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State}}</ref> 

Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are usually located in facilities used for other purposes, such as [[school]]s, [[Church (building)|churches]], [[stadium|sports halls]], local government [[office]]s, or even private homes, and may each serve a similar number of people. The area may be known as a [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|ward]], [[electoral precinct|precinct]], polling district, or [[Electoral district|constituency]]. The polling place is staffed by officials (who may be called [[Returning officer|Returning Officers]], [[Election official|Election Officials]] or other titles) who monitor the voting procedures and assist voters with the election process. [[Scrutineer|Scruntineers]] (or poll-watchers) are independent or partisan observers who attend the poll to ensure the impartiality of the process.

The facility will be open between specified hours depending on the type of election, and political activity by or on behalf of those standing in the ballot is usually prohibited within the venue and immediately surrounding area.

Inside the polling place will be an area (usually a [[voting booth]]) where the voter may select the candidate or party of their choice in secret. If a ballot paper is used, this will be placed into a [[ballot box]] in front of witnesses who cannot see for whom the vote has been cast. [[Voting machine]]s may be employed instead.

Some polling places are temporary structures. A portable cabin may be specially sited for an election and removed afterwards.

There are five types of voting technologies that are currently being used in the United States polling locations. These comprise hand-counted paper ballots, mechanical lever machines, punch cards, [[optical character recognition|optically readable]] paper ballots, and electronic voting machines.<ref name="Matter"/> One of the reasons for a tendency toward witnessed final posting or transacting physical systems yet retaining the secret ballot is to reduce [[electoral fraud]].<ref name="Matter"/>

== Voting booth ==
{{Multiple image
| header            = Voting booths
| align             = right
| direction         = 
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| image1            = 1900 New York polling place.jpg
| caption1          = <small>New York polling place {{circa|1900}}, showing voting booths on the left</small>
| image2            = Example_voting_booth_from_USA_(Connecticut).jpg
| caption2          = <small>Voting booth from Connecticut, USA; late 20th century</small>
| image3            = Voting booths.png
| caption3          = <small>Voting booths used for L’Ordre des Avocats de Paris (Paris Bar Association) 2007 election</small>
}}
A '''voting booth''' or '''polling booth''' (in British English)<ref>{{cite web|title=Oxford Dictionaries|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/polling-booth?q=polling+booth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027174428/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/polling-booth?q=polling+booth|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 October 2014|access-date=19 October 2014}}</ref> is a room or cabin in a [[polling station]] where voters are able to cast their vote in private to protect the [[Secret ballot|secrecy of the ballot]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Voting at a Polling Place|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/voting/polling.htm|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|access-date=28 May 2013|archive-date=2 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502065558/http://aec.gov.au/Voting/polling.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Voting in person|url=http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_in_person.aspx|publisher=The Electoral Commission|access-date=28 May 2013|archive-date=2 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602142035/http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_in_person.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Commonly the entrance to the voting booth is a retractable curtain. Usually access to the voting booth is restricted to a single person, with exceptions for voters requiring assistance. The booths aren't in all states but some, as others use a form of mailing.

[[Voting machine]]s generally use either a voting booth or some other form of privacy cover to obscure voters from the view of others.

==History==

The word "poll" means "scalp" or "head". When votes were taken by gathering people together and counting heads, the place where this was done (sometimes an open field) was called the "polls".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/polling-democracy-uneasy-relationship/|title=Polling & Democracy: An Uneasy Relationship &#124; On the Media|website=WNYC|access-date=12 December 2019|archive-date=12 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212134720/https://www.wnyc.org/story/polling-democracy-uneasy-relationship/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/16/politics-and-the-new-machine|title=Are Polls Ruining Democracy?|first=Jill|last=Lepore|magazine=The New Yorker|date=9 November 2015|via=www.newyorker.com|access-date=12 December 2019|archive-date=24 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224124354/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/16/politics-and-the-new-machine|url-status=live}}</ref>

Polling places used to gather and count ballots in elections have changed significantly over the past 250 years.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> Advances in technology have played a major role in changing the polling places because as the type of ballot changed, the venue in which the ballots are counted also changed.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> One of the main reasons for advancement was to be able to access the results quicker. First was the word ballot, then came the different types of paper ballots, and in the late 20th Century electronic balloting systems were introduced.

Before there were paper ballots, people would simply call out their selection at the polling place. This polling place was typically the county courthouse or town hall.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> Sometimes these polls were taken outside of the venue in a more informal fashion. When the voters came to the town hall to announce their choice, they would get in line to see the judge and swear in.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> Voters would swear an oath to the judge on a Bible and be allowed to cast one ballot per election.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> The judge acted as the only form of voter identification and it was up to them to be able to identify individuals that had already voted and exclude them from voting again.<ref name="Before Ballots"/>

The use of paper and electronic ballots have been the most widely used form of capturing votes in recent history.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> When paper or electronic ballots are used, the polling place must be professionally organized in order to ensure that the ballots are not tampered with and are accounted for accurately.<ref name="Before Ballots"/> These polls are held inside a building that has been set up in stations to assist voters. When the voter arrives, they will be asked to show a form of voter identification (Photo ID is required in most European countries and in some US states).<ref name="Before Ballots"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx|title=Voter Identification Requirements {{!}} Voter ID Laws|website=www.ncsl.org|access-date=7 June 2019|archive-date=5 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605060355/http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Properly identified votes would go to a voting booth where the votes are captured. After all votes were captured, voters could examine the voting ticket before submitting the ballot to the poll worker, in a ballot box, or on the computerized ballot.<ref name="Before Ballots"/>

==Polling location effects==
The building where the polling location is sited can have a significant effect on the results of the poll.<ref name="Voting Influence"/> Research shows that polling location may influence how a voter casts their ballot.<ref name="Stanford"/> This subtle unknown factor can be significant and can sway a close election.<ref name="Stanford"/> Individuals may be influenced to behave in a certain way based on environmental cues,<ref name="Stanford"/> i.e., an object or place that can influence a voter's behavior;<ref name="Stanford"/> for example, the condition of the building, the name of the building, the ordinary use of the building, or the building decor.<ref name="Stanford"/> Researchers have spent much time considering what makes people vote the way they do; they have found that the smallest of changes can have large effects.

Waiting times at polling places have also been a problem in the US.<ref name="president"/> This has become such a controversial topic that even President [[Obama]] in his [[State of the Union Address]] on 12 February 2013 mentioned the need to decrease waiting times.<ref name="president"/> He went on to say that it is the duty of Americans to make sure that everyone has not only the right to vote but the opportunity to vote without having to wait several hours in line.<ref name="president"/>

===Building usage===
The building used as the polling place has a significant effect on how an individual votes. For example, voting inside a school building, a citizen might be more likely to vote for those in favour of school systems and education.<ref name="Stanford"/> This is especially true if the school building you are voting in is in need of general improvement and/or renovation.<ref name="Stanford"/> This environmental cue may give a voter firsthand knowledge of what needs there may be in a particular setting.<ref name="Stanford"/> Similarly, voting in a church or parish hall, a citizen might be less likely to vote in favor of stem cell research.<ref name="Stanford"/> These cues give a person a sense of satisfaction for voting one way or another in the moment, regardless if that was the way they intended to vote in the first place.<ref name="Stanford"/>

===Distance to voting location===
The cost of voting influences whether or not a person will vote. Research shows that the more expensive voting gets, the less likely a person is to vote.<ref name="Location"/> Distance to the polling location is one of the main reasons cost can become an issue for voters.<ref name="Location"/> Minor changes in distance from voters' homes to polling place can change the turnout of voters, which may change the outcome of a close election.<ref name="Can Affect"/> Distance to the polling place is an issue if not every voter has access to vehicle transportation.<ref name="Location"/> According to the research on distance to the polling location by Haspel and Knotts, "To illustrate the range of the effect of distance, we plot our predicted probabilities at the lower and upper bounds of our continuous vehicle available variable. When no one owns a car (vehicle available = 0), the likelihood of voting drops from .664 at a distance of {{Convert|.01|mi|m|disp=sqbr}} to .418 at the median distance of {{Convert|.69|mi|m|disp=sqbr}}. When automobiles are universally available (vehicle available = 1), voters are much less sensitive to changes in distance: the likelihood of voting drops from .444 to .392 over the same distance range".<ref name="Location"/> Voters ultimately value the convenience of polling locations. If a poll is accessible to the citizen they will make an effort, if the citizen has to travel a long distance then voter turnout decreases dramatically".<ref name="Location"/>

===Redistricting===
If a voter changes precincts due to redistricting, then the chances of their continuing to vote in future elections decreases.<ref name="Location"/> The confusion that redistricting causes will deter the voter from looking into the new precinct where he or she should now vote.<ref name="Location"/> In addition, the informational costs associated with alerting voters of their new polling location will also affect the voter turnout because it is highly unlikely that funds will be available to allocate to ensure that every voter knows where to vote.<ref name="Location"/> Redistricting can be beneficial in order to provide a convenient location, but careful consideration should be taken before such a decision is made.

===Openness and centralisation===
If voters are allowed to vote at any of a number of different locations in the county or district etc., this will increase voter turnout.<ref name="Matter"/> Sometimes, a voter's most convenient voting location is near his or her workplace, not necessarily the closest to their residence.<ref name="Matter"/> Having a more open policy of allowing multiple possible locations for a person to vote would encourage those individuals who cannot feasibly commute back and forth from work to vote, assuming the day of election is not a mandatory day off.<ref name="Matter"/> Having a large conspicuous polling location will ensure that the voters know where they are supposed to vote.<ref name="Matter"/> This will cut down on unnecessary signage and eliminate clutter and confusion.<ref name="Matter"/>

<gallery>
File:Newport St James' Street 2010 general election polling station.JPG|A polling station at a school for the [[2010 United Kingdom general election]]
File:Polling Station 2008.jpg|A polling station sign in the [[2008 Jersey general election]]
File:NewJerseyPollingPlace2008.JPG|A polling place in [[New Jersey]] during the [[2008 United States presidential election]]
File:Thai general election 2007 02.jpg|A polling station in [[Ban Khung Taphao]], Khung Taphao subdistrict, [[Mueang Uttaradit District|Mueang Uttaradit district]], [[Uttaradit Province|Uttaradit province]], Thailand, for the [[2007 Thai general election]]
File:2012-13 tk verkiezingen.JPG|Polling place in a ''multi functional facility'' in [[Silvolde]], a village in the East of the Netherlands
File:WyboryPrezydenckie2005-2.tura.jpg|Interior of a polling station in [[Wrocław]] during the [[2005 Polish presidential election]]
File:Election Day of 2024 Indonesian general elections.jpg|Polling station in rural area of [[Samarinda]] during the [[2024 Indonesian general election]]
</gallery>

==Alternatives==
===Remote voting===
====Australia====
In Australia, many voters in remote locations (such as many [[Indigenous Australians|Indigenous]] communities) have their votes collected by "remote mobile voting teams" (RMVTs),<ref name="lingiari">{{Cite web |url=https://antonygreen.com.au/why-the-nt-seat-of-lingiari-keeps-being-mentioned-in-the-voterid-debate/ |title=Why the NT seat of Lingiari keeps being mentioned in the VoterID Debate – Antony Green's Election Blog |date=25 November 2021 |access-date=12 June 2023 |archive-date=12 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612082823/https://antonygreen.com.au/why-the-nt-seat-of-lingiari-keeps-being-mentioned-in-the-voterid-debate/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which travel to remote communities via several forms of transport, generally in [[four-wheel-drive]]s (4WDs), but also on light aircraft, helicopters and boats in many cases.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aec.gov.au/employment/working-at-elections/files/positions/2022/march/position-description-remote-mobile-team-member-eo2.pdf |title=Remote Mobile Team Member |access-date=12 June 2023 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108120402/https://www.aec.gov.au/employment/working-at-elections/files/positions/2022/march/position-description-remote-mobile-team-member-eo2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, in the federal seat of [[Division of Lingiari|Lingiari]] (the largest in size (but smallest in population) of the two federal electorates in the [[Northern Territory]]), where Indigenous people make up around 40% of the population, most people have their votes collected by RMVTs and thus there is low turnout on election day in Lingiari.<ref name="lingiari"/> In Lingiari, regular polling places are generally only found in major towns and cities, such as [[Alice Springs]], [[Katherine, Northern Territory|Katherine]] and [[Tennant Creek]]. In contrast, in [[Division of Solomon|Solomon]] (the other federal seat in the Northern Territory, which includes [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] and most of [[Palmerston, Northern Territory|Palmerston]]), most voters vote at polling places due to their widespread availability.<ref name="lingiari"/> RMVTs are not exclusive to Lingiari or the Northern Territory, however; they are also used to a lesser extent in remote areas in the seats of [[Division of Durack|Durack]] ([[Western Australia]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-312.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118143704/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-312.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Division of Grey|Grey]] ([[South Australia]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-183.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=25 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025094137/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-183.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Division of Kennedy|Kennedy]] ([[Queensland]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-167.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026024810/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-167.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Division of Leichhardt|Leichhardt]] (Queensland),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-168.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026024901/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-168.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Division of O'Connor|O'Connor]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-243.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118143704/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-243.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Division of Parkes|Parkes]] ([[New South Wales]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-139.htm |title=House of Representatives division information |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405013128/https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-139.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

RMVTs also operate for state and territory elections. In the Northern Territory, most people vote before election day, but those who do that live in remote electorates (i.e those outside Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs) have their vote collected by RMVTs, whereas those in urban electorates (i.e those in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs) vote at regular polling places. In the seats of [[electoral division of Daly|Daly]], [[electoral division of Katherine|Katherine]] and [[electoral division of Namatjira|Namatjira]], the majority of voters vote at regular polling places but for those in the remote parts of the electorate, RMVTs do exist. In Queensland, RMVTs are used by some remote voters in the seat of [[electoral district of Cook|Cook]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.elections.qld.gov.au/state2020 |title=Electoral Commission of Queensland |date=July 2019 |access-date=15 June 2023 |archive-date=10 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110101034/https://results.elections.qld.gov.au/state2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Dogs at polling stations]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=

<ref name="Matter">{{cite journal |first1=Robert |last1=Stein |first2=Greg |last2=Vonnahme |title=When, Where, and How We Vote: Does it Matter? |date=September 2012 |publisher=Southwestern Social Science Association |location=Houston, TX |volume=93|number=3 |pages=692–712}}</ref>
<ref name="Voting Influence">{{cite web |url=http://sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?article_id=218393121 |title=Voting Influence |author=Jack Penland |date=23 June 2008 |access-date=18 February 2013 |archive-date=21 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321194603/http://sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3%3Farticle_id%3D218393121 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
<ref name="Location">{{cite journal |first1=Moshe |last1=Haspel |first2=Gibbs |last2=Knotts |title=Location, Location, Location: Precinct Placement and the Costs of Voting |date=May 2005 |publisher=Southern Political Science Association |location=United States of America |volume=67 |number=2 |pages=560–573}}</ref>
<ref name="Stanford">{{cite web |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/pubpolicy_wheeler_pollinglocation.shtml |title=Can Polling Location Influence How Voters Vote? |author=Jonah Berger |author2=Marc Meredith |date=1 June 2008 |access-date=18 February 2013 |archive-date=18 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518130400/http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/pubpolicy_wheeler_pollinglocation.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>  
<ref name="Can Affect">{{cite web |url=http://archive.truthout.org/how-polling-places-can-affect-your-vote62527 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705140505/http://archive.truthout.org/how-polling-places-can-affect-your-vote62527 |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 July 2013 |title=How Polling Places Can Affect Your Vote |author=Tom Jacobs |author2=Miller-McCune |date=19 August 2010 |access-date=20 February 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="Before Ballots">{{cite web |url=http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting/pictures/#before |title=A Brief Illustrated History of Voting |author=Douglas W. Jones |year=2003 |access-date=20 February 2013 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124171142/http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting/pictures/#before |url-status=live }}</ref> 
<ref name="president">{{cite web |url=http://knowink.com/answer-president-obamas-call-for-shorter-voting-lines/ |title=Answer President Obama's call for shorter lines at the Polling Place |author=Scott Leiendecker |date=14 February 2013 |access-date=3 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115531/http://knowink.com/answer-president-obamas-call-for-shorter-voting-lines/ |archive-date=26 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  }}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|polling place|polling station}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120806103325/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0009/55836/UKPGE-PSH-web-FINAL.pdf Handbook for polling station staff], UK Electoral Commission, 2010

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polling place}}
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Political terminology]]