Australian Electoral Commission videos

Many of the 80,000 casual staff in polling booths on election day have never done the job before.

Problem is, they don't really get a chance to learn 'on the job' — polling booths are usually flat-out from the moment they open at 8am. The training challenge is intensified because of the gap of up to four years between elections, meaning much is forgotten. 

We captured and documented the activities, business and excitement of the election-night vote counting. Casual staff are given access to the videos before polling day so that they can gain an idea of what to expect in their work.