0 (in the UK) the person who is in charge of a polling station (= a place where people go to vote in an election) --
I had thought to put down an amendment changing presiding officer to precess.
So the parliament can challenge the decisions of the presiding officer.
The presiding officer would then get it right.
To drag the presiding officer through the courts would be quite inappropriate.
The problem is that the presiding officer must exercise his discretion and one does not know on what basis that discretion is to be exercised.
At polling stations law and order will, as is normally the case, be the responsibility of the presiding officer, assisted by the police.
What we object to is the practice of people being permanently stationed at the same table as the presiding officer and polling clerk.
The ballot papers are handed to the police and the presiding officer normally goes with them.
