Local Government Election 2022: Guidance on count procedures for candidates, election agents and counting agents

Who's who at the count

Many people are involved in running an Election Count, but you are most likely to come across the following:

  • The Returning Officer (RO) is the person in charge of the Election. Andrew Kerr is the Returning Officer (RO) for the seventeen wards in the City of Edinburgh Council.
  • Depute Returning Officers (DROs) will be assisting the RO throughout the Count and are able to act on his behalf.
  • Count Manager (CM) each count area is managed by a CM. The CMs are also DROs.
  • Adjudication DROs will be working in pairs to undertake final adjudication of ballot papers.
  • Candidate Briefing Managers will be leading the briefing sessions for candidates and their election agent
  • Information Officers will be available in count halls to answer candidate and agent queries and guide them to briefing rooms
  • Ballot Box Opening Team will be operating in the Cromdale and Lomond halls, opening the ballot boxes and sorting the papers
  • Registration / Verification Team, Scanning Team and Adjudication Team will be undertaking the electronic count processes.

Senior count team

Returning Officer

  • Andrew Kerr

Depute Returning Officers

  • Chris Highcock
  • Fran Cattanach
  • Scott Russell

Information Officers

  • Nick Croft
  • Hannah Ross
  • Andy Nichol
  • Alison Coburn
  • Richard Carr
  • Daisy Narayanan
  • Lynne Halfpenny

Strathblane

Count Manager

  • Hugh Dunn

Count Controller

  • Alison Henry

RO Adjudication

  • Amanada Hatton

Candidate Briefing Managers

  • Neil Jamieson
  • Paula McLeay

Cromdale

Count Manager

  • Nick Smith

Count Controller

  • Alison Henry

RO Adjudication

  • Paul Lawrence

Candidate Briefing Managers

  • Katy Miller
  • Kevin McKee