Who Counts
A History of the Census and the Power to Be Counted
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Specific topics include county-level counting in the United States, detailed racial demographics of U.S. states and territories, and the role of election officials like tellers and will counts. The book examines how different countries approach population measurement, from Britain's historical methods to modern American challenges with undercounting minority communities. It also addresses the legal and political implications of accurate versus inaccurate population data.
Whether you're a student of politics, a researcher studying demographic trends, or someone curious about how numbers shape governance, this audiobook offers essential insights into one of democracy's most fundamental processes.
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Overview
The United States Census Bureau, officially known as the Bureau of the Census, is a federal agency within the Department of Commerce that gathers data about people and the economy. The director of the bureau is chosen by the president, and as of September 19, 2025, George Cook is serving as acting director. Its main job is to conduct the national census every ten years, which determines how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. That same census also helps decide how to distribute over $675 billion in federal funding each year. The bureau runs more than 130 surveys and programs annually, including the American Community Survey, the Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey. The Economic Census happens every five years and provides information that helps businesses plan their future. Federal reports on trade and the economy often rely on data from the Census Bureau.
Legal mandate
The U.S. Constitution requires a population count every ten years via Article One, section II, to determine congressional representation and Electoral College votes. The Census Bureau conducts this decennial count and makes estimates between censuses, operating under Title 13 of the U.S. Code. It collects data used to distribute over $400 billion annually in federal and state funding, while also running continuous demographic surveys on employment, crime, health, housing, and the economy. Established in 1903 under the Department of Commerce and Labor—after earlier existence in the Department of Interior in 1902—various laws were consolidated into Title 13 in 1954. By law, the Bureau must count everyone and submit state totals to the president by December 31 of any year ending in zero, with states receiving results in the spring of the following year.
Census regions and divisions
The United States Census Bureau organizes the country into four statistical regions and nine divisions for data collection and analysis. These regional groupings are widely used and recognized, though they do not include U.S. territories, even though the District of Columbia is part of the system. The Census Bureau's definitions are pervasive in how information is gathered and studied across the nation.
History
The first U.S. census was taken in 1790 and published the next year. It filled 56 pages and cost $44,377.28. Over time, the Census Bureau tried different ways to group states. After the 1850 census, statistician J. D. B. De Bow introduced a system that divided the country into five "great divisions": the Middle, New England, Northwestern, Southern, and Southwestern. Four years later, he proposed another grouping, splitting states into three "great sections"—Eastern, Interior, and Western—each with northern and southern halves. Several other systems followed until 1910, when the current one was adopted. Since then, only small changes have been made: New Mexico and Arizona joined the Mountain division in 1912, the North region split into Northeast and North Central in 1940, Alaska and Hawaii were added to the Pacific division in 1959, and the North Central region became the Midwest in 1984.
Data stewardship
The U.S. Census Bureau guarantees strict confidentiality under Title 13 of U.S. Code, with penalties including fines up to $250,000 or five years in prison. All employees sign affidavits promising not to share information obtained during employment. The bureau cannot release personal data even to government agencies like the IRS or FBI, and only after 72 years does information become public—chosen because most participants would likely be deceased by then. Despite these protections, the bureau disclosed information in 1918 to help prosecute draft evaders and during WWII assisted in Japanese American internment efforts, a role confirmed in 2007. The data plays a major role in politics, influencing districting and funding, and has been affected by political pressure, especially regarding minority counts. Beginning in the 1980s, the bureau developed the TIGER database system to improve geographic mapping, and in 2019, it replaced American FactFinder with data.census.gov.
Other surveys conducted
The Census Bureau doesn’t just count people every ten years—it also gathers data for other government groups that need specific information. These partners include the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Science Foundation, among others. Each of these organizations sponsors surveys that help shape policy and understand different parts of American life. The Census Bureau handles the logistics and collects the responses, making sure the data reaches those who need it most.
Organizational structure
Since 1903, the U.S. government’s official census agency has been the Bureau of the Census, led by a director, a deputy director, and an executive staff of associate directors. The bureau’s headquarters have been in Suitland, Maryland, since 1942, and a complex finished in 2007 supports over 4,000 employees. It operates regional offices in six cities: New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles. The National Processing Center is in Jeffersonville, Indiana, with additional temporary facilities during the decennial census, which employs more than a million people. In 2013, the bureau consolidated its twelve regional offices into six, closing Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, and Seattle. The Census Information Center cooperative program involves 58 nonprofit organizations that represent underserved communities.
Computer equipment
The 1890 census was the first to rely on electric tabulating machines created by Herman Hollerith. Details from that time through 1940 can be found in Leon E. Truesdell’s The Development of Punch Card Tabulation in the Bureau of the Census, 1890–1940. By 1946, John Mauchly had learned that the bureau had supported Hollerith earlier and later Powers, so he approached it regarding early funding for UNIVAC development. The bureau accepted a UNIVAC I computer in 1951.
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Overview
Canada is the 37th most populous country in the world, home to about 41.5 million people as of early 2026, or roughly 0.5% of the global population. Despite being the second-largest country by total area and fourth by land, most of its vast northern regions are uninhabited, with the majority of people living south of the 55th parallel. Over 60% reside in just two provinces—Ontario and Quebec—and the southern Quebec City–Windsor Corridor has a population density higher than many European nations. The country has six cities with over one million residents: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. In 2021, Canada's population density was 4.2 people per square kilometre. Between 1990 and 2008, the population grew by 20.4%, driven largely by immigration. The 2021 census recorded 36,991,981 people, up 5.2% from 2016. However, in early 2026, Canada experienced its first population decline since Confederation, dropping from 41.6 million to 41.5 million, largely due to fewer non-permanent residents.
Indigenous peoples
Before European contact, Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada numbered between 200,000 and two million, with 500,000 accepted by Canada's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Early interactions were relatively peaceful, though diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza caused devastating losses—between twenty-five and eighty percent of the population was lost. Roland G Robertson notes that in the late 1630s, smallpox killed over half the Wendat, who controlled much of the fur trade in New France. By 1822, the Indigenous population, excluding the Métis, was estimated at 283,500. In 1871, only 102,358 were enumerated within Canada's limits at the time. By 1885, that number rose to 131,952. From 2006 to 2016, the Indigenous population grew by 42.5 percent—four times the national rate. In 2021, over 1.8 million Indigenous people were counted, making up 5.0% of Canada's total population, a slight increase from 4.9% in 2016.
New France
In New France, the population grew slowly under French rule, mainly through natural births rather than immigration. Most settlers were farmers, and women had about 30 percent more children than those who stayed in France. Demographer Yves Landry notes that Canadians had an exceptional diet for their time. The first census in North America was taken in 1666 by Jean Talon, the first Intendant of New France. It recorded 3,215 people across 538 families, with a clear imbalance: 2,034 men and only 1,181 women. By the early 1700s, the population had reached roughly 15,000 to 16,000, mainly along the Saint Lawrence River and Acadian Peninsula. Natural increase and modest immigration from regions like Brittany and Normandy brought the population to 55,000 by 1754, up from 42,701 in 1730.
British Canada
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Canada under British rule experienced strong population growth. Following the 1775 invasion of Canada by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, around 60,000 United Empire Loyalists fled to British North America. Of these, at least 20,000 settled in Nova Scotia, 14,000 in New Brunswick, 1,500 on Prince Edward Island, and 6,000 in Ontario. In the 1790s, another 30,000 "Late Loyalists" were drawn to Ontario with promises of land and loyalty to the Crown. By 1831, Lower Canada had about 553,000 residents and Upper Canada around 237,000. The Irish Famine of the 1840s sparked a wave of immigration, peaking in 1847 with 100,000 newcomers. By 1851, the Maritime colonies together reached roughly 533,000, while British Columbia had about 55,000. Chinese immigrants began arriving in the 1850s, especially after the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. By 1861, the Province of Canada had 3.1 million inhabitants, and Newfoundland reached approximately 125,000.
Post-confederation
Since the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, the population has grown every year, though Newfoundland was not counted until it joined confederation in 1949. The first national census in 1871 recorded about 3.7 million people, and the smallest growth occurred between 1882 and 1883, with just 30,000 new residents. By 1911, the population reached over 7.2 million, a rise of 34% from the previous decade. The post-World War II baby boom peaked in 1956–1957, when more than 529,000 people were added in one year. The 1996 census showed a population of nearly 28.8 million, and by 2001, Canada had reached over 30 million. The 2006 census counted 31.6 million people, slightly below the official estimate of 32.6 million. The 2011 census recorded 33.5 million, marking a 5.9% increase from 2006. Censuses have been taken every ten years since 1871, as required by the Constitution Act, 1867, though they’ve been conducted every five years since 1905.
Components of population growth
In 2022, Canada's population was estimated at 38,232,593 people. The country experiences a birth every minute, a death every two minutes, and a net migrant arrival every two minutes, leading to a total net gain of one person every two minutes. In 2010, the annual growth rate was 1.238%, adding about 1,137 people daily. Between 1867 and 2009, Canada's population grew by 979%. During 1994 to 2004, it had the highest net migration rate among G-8 countries at 0.61%. Natural growth contributed about 137,626 people annually at a rate of 0.413%. Between 2001 and 2006, over 1.4 million immigrants arrived while around 237,000 emigrated, resulting in a net gain of just over 1.2 million. Immigration between 2001 and 2010 ranged from about 221,000 to 262,000 per year. In 2023, the population rose by over one million—its largest increase in history—largely due to migrants brought in to address labor shortages. By early 2026, however, Canada's population dropped for the first time since Confederation, as non-permanent residents declined from 3.1 million in Q4 2024 to 2.6 million in Q1 2026. As of March 2026, the population was estimated at 41,472,081 people.
Data projections
In 2006, Statistics Canada said the population of Canada would grow by more than five million people, or over ten percent, between 2021 and 2031. That was a faster pace than the increase seen between 1990 and 2008, when the population rose by 5.6 million, or 20.4 percent overall. The 2016 census counted 35.1 million people, which was 1.5 million fewer than the 2006 projection had suggested. Then, in October 2020, the Trudeau government announced plans to bring in over 1.2 million immigrants within three years, aiming to reach that high-growth scenario.
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Overview
Since 1801, full censuses have been taken every ten years across the United Kingdom, with exceptions in 1941, 1921, 1931, and 2021. The most recent census occurred on 21 March 2021 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Scotland’s census was delayed to 20 March 2022 due to the pandemic. These censuses are conducted by three separate organizations: the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales, the National Records of Scotland for Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency for Northern Ireland. The data collected helps determine how resources are distributed across regions and local communities.
History
In Roman times, tax assessments were made in Britain, though detailed records are lost. In the 7th century, Dál Riata conducted a census called the "Tradition of the Men of Alba." The first English census was the Domesday Book in 1086, ordered by William the Conqueror. National censuses began in 1801, pushed by statistician John Rickman, who listed twelve reasons including defense needs and population planning spurred by Malthus's work. The early censuses were mainly headcounts with little personal data; the 1841 census was the first to record all individuals' names. A simultaneous empire-wide census occurred in 1881. The Census Act 1920 set the legal framework for Great Britain, and Northern Ireland had its own legislation in 1969. There was no census in 1941 due to WWII, but a population count happened in 1939 under the National Registration Act. In 1966, the UK tried a five-year census with short and long forms, though it was only done once. Censuses in Northern Ireland were boycotted during the 1971 and 1981 counts, coinciding with the hunger strike in 1981.
England and Wales
The British government runs the census to help with policy and planning, sharing the findings in printed reports and online through the Office for National Statistics. Some datasets are also available for public use. In England and Wales, access to individual census records is usually limited by the 100-year rule. This restriction comes from Lord Chancellor's Instrument no.12, which was issued in 1966 under Section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958.
Scotland
Censuses in Scotland have matched the dates set for England and Wales, but with their own laws, leadership, and record-keeping. The 2001 census was the first under full Scottish control, whereas all earlier ones since 1861 were managed by the Registrar General for Scotland. In the 1800s, these censuses weren’t released until 50 to 80 years after they were taken, and even the 1901 and 1911 censuses didn’t become public until their 100th anniversaries. There was a legal restriction preventing early access to the 1911 census details. Then in 2021, the census was delayed until March 2022 due to the pandemic—marking the first delay since 1941. The return rate ended up lower than expected, raising concerns that the data might be statistically unreliable.
Ireland and Northern Ireland
Census records for Ireland before 1901 are mostly gone, lost through a mix of official neglect and disasters—like the destruction of the 1881 and 1891 returns before they could be recorded, and the 1861 and 1871 censuses not being kept at all. A fire during the Irish Civil War in 1922 destroyed more records. But the 1901 and 1911 censuses for Ireland, which was part of the UK at the time, became available for inspection in 1960—earlier than other British records due to different Irish laws. There was no census in 1921 because of the Irish War of Independence. The first one taken in the Irish Free State began in April 1926, and Northern Ireland had its first census at the same time. No census occurred in Northern Ireland in 1931, but one did take place there in 1937.
Coverage
In 2001, most people in England and Wales completed their census forms, with a small number identified by enumerators, but the final results still showed 100 percent of the population thanks to cross-matching with a follow-up survey. The Census Act 1920 makes it illegal to refuse the form, with fines up to £1,000. Sometimes people avoided the census for political reasons. In 1911, the Women's Freedom League, a suffragette group fighting for voting rights, encouraged a boycott, having women stay out all night or at friends’ houses to avoid being counted, and some heads of households refused to list them. In 1991, during the poll tax debate, many avoided the census, fearing it might be used to enforce the tax, and up to a million people were not counted because of that evasion.
Criminal law
In the United Kingdom, the Census Act 1920 made it a crime to ignore the census or give false answers. Under section 8, anyone who refuses to comply, makes a false declaration, or signs a false document can be fined up to £1,000. This law applies even if someone causes another person to provide false information or simply refuses to answer questions. There is one exception: people can legally refuse to answer questions about their religion, as allowed by the Census (Amendment) Act 2000.
Data sets
Traditionally, census results have been shared as tables showing counts across different areas. But in the UK, there’s also a kind of dataset called Samples of Anonymised Records, or SARs. These are large collections made up of samples from national censuses, and they’re used by researchers and policy makers. The first SAR was made available in 1991. By 2001, the system had been expanded, and SAR files from the 2011 census were expected to follow.
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Overview
In the United States, local governments called counties or county equivalents help manage communities across most states, though their names and powers differ. Forty-seven states use the term "county," while Louisiana uses "parishes," Alaska "boroughs," and Connecticut "planning regions." Some areas, like Connecticut's councils of government, now count as county equivalents for Census purposes. Counties serve townships, cities, and unincorporated areas, although some—such as those in Connecticut, Rhode Island, parts of Massachusetts, and Alaska's Unorganized Borough—have no real governing power. The Census Bureau treats Louisiana parishes, Alaska's organized boroughs, independent cities, and the District of Columbia as county equivalents, and divides Alaska's Unorganized Borough into census areas. American Samoa's districts and atolls are also counted as county equivalents, even though local places called "counties" aren't recognized as true counties by the Census. As of 2022, there were 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in the states and the District of Columbia, with an additional 100 in U.S. territories, bringing the total to 3,244. In 2017, more than half the population lived in just 143 counties—just 4.6% of all counties—and the five most populous were Los Angeles, Cook, Harris, Maricopa, and San Diego Counties.
History
Counties in the United States trace their origins to England, where colonists brought this form of local government to North America. Virginia set up the first counties in 1634, dividing the colony into eight shires, with records dating back to 1632 in Northampton County. Maryland followed in 1637, and Maine established York County in 1639. Massachusetts created its first county in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York gave counties significant authority, shaping most of the country's local governance, though New England kept counties relatively weak. After independence, the Constitution left county structure to the states, with Louisiana adopting parishes from its colonial past. In the twentieth century, counties gained more responsibilities, and some, like Alaska, created new models—like boroughs—instead of traditional counties. Some states divide power between counties and townships, though in New York, New England, and Wisconsin, these smaller units are called towns. The newest county is Broomfield, Colorado, formed in 2001, while the newest county equivalents in Alaska include Chugach and Copper River census areas, established in 2019.
Consolidated city-counties
In the United States, a consolidated city-county is both a city and a county at the same time, sharing the powers and responsibilities of both. The boundaries of the city and county are the same, making them one unified entity. These places are often named using both the city and county names—for example, Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia, or the City and County of Denver in Colorado. Some consolidated city-counties include the City and County of Honolulu in Hawaii, Indianapolis–Marion County in Indiana, and the City and County of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. There are 40 such consolidated entities across the country, some of which contain independent municipalities that keep certain local powers, like in Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida, where four independent municipalities still receive county-level services.
Names and etymologies
Counties in the United States often bear the names of people, places, or geographic features, with over 2,100 named after individuals—mostly political figures or early settlers. The most common county name is Washington County, for George Washington, followed by Jefferson County for Thomas Jefferson. Some counties honor non-presidents like Franklin, Clay, and Montgomery. Geographic names are also frequent, with Lake being the most common. Many counties reflect the origins of early immigrants, naming places after locations in the UK or countries like France and Spain. In Louisiana, county equivalents called parishes come from the French and Spanish colonial past, with some dating back to 1807, named after Roman Catholic parishes that once governed them. Up until 1871, there was even a Washington County within the District of Columbia, which was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act.
Organization
Counties in the United States are organized differently depending on the state, with some following general laws and others operating under specific charters. Most counties are governed by an elected body called various things—county commission, board of supervisors, commissioners' court, county council, or county legislature. In consolidated city-county areas, a city council handles both city and county affairs. Some counties have an elected county executive or chief administrative officer who oversees daily operations and reports to the board, mayor, or both. The governing board often holds legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial powers, meaning it can make laws, run county operations, and hear limited appeals. In many states, key officials like county clerk, treasurer, surrogate, and sheriff are elected separately and can't be fired by the board. District attorneys are usually state-level, though county and judicial district boundaries often match. County administration is centered at the county seat—called the parish seat in Louisiana or borough seat in Alaska—and usually located within a municipality, though some counties have multiple or no seats at all.
Scope of power
Counties across the United States have very different powers, depending on the state. In Connecticut and Rhode Island, counties exist only as geographic areas and don’t function as government bodies. Meanwhile, in Maryland and the county equivalent of Baltimore, counties manage almost all services, including public education, even though the state still keeps a close watch over them. Hawaii takes it even further, with counties handling nearly everything since there are no separate municipal governments below that level. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are often broken down into townships or towns that may have their own local powers. And throughout the country, counties can also include independent cities or municipalities that govern themselves.
Minimal scope
In New England, counties have very limited roles today. In Connecticut, they exist only as judicial court districts, while in Rhode Island, they’ve lost most functions but are still used by the Census Bureau and other federal agencies. Most government below the state level happens at the town or city level. In some parts of Maine, small towns depend on counties for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire, social programs are managed by the state. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now just geographic labels with no real power. Government runs either at the state or municipal level. In places where county governments were eliminated, regional councils have stepped in to handle things like infrastructure, land use planning, emergency preparedness, and some law enforcement duties.
Moderate scope
In the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, counties handle courts, public utilities, libraries, hospitals, health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. Each county has a registrar, recorder, or clerk managing vital statistics, elections, and legal documents like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, with recorders also keeping real estate records. Other key officials include coroner, treasurer, assessor, auditor, comptroller, and district attorney. The sheriff typically leads law enforcement but doesn't control city police, instead cooperating especially when delivering suspects to county jails. State courts and local law enforcement follow county lines, though most laws come from state legislature and appellate courts. Criminal cases begin in county trial courts with arraignment, indictment, trial, and holding in county facilities, while long-term incarceration, executions, and appeals are handled by the state, not counties. County governments oversee unincorporated land, allowing residents to vote for incorporation if dissatisfied with services. Some counties run their own bus systems, while most rely on special districts, regional transit authorities, or state agencies for public transport.
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Overview
In 2020, 12.4% of the U.S. population identified as Black alone, a slight decrease from 12.6% in 2010. When including those who marked "Black" along with another race, the figure rose to 14.2%. This data comes from the census, which tracks the proportion of African Americans across states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The numbers reflect how the count has shifted over time, showing both continuity and change in demographic patterns. These figures are part of a larger history of how the U.S. counts its people and what that counting means for representation and power.
African-American proportion of state and territory populations (1790–2020)
During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates agreed on the Three-fifths Compromise to decide how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation. This rule applied from 1787 until 1868, giving Southern states more seats in Congress and electoral votes, even though enslaved individuals had no right to vote. Under this system, three-fifths of each state’s slave population was added to its total for determining representation. Free blacks and indentured servants were counted fully. The Fourteenth Amendment later overturned that clause in 1868. In the Virgin Islands, census records from 1920 through 1980 show population numbers for Black people but not percentages, though estimates indicate those figures exceeded 76.6%.
Free blacks as a percentage out of the total black population by U.S. region and U.S. state between 1790 and 1860
In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery across the United States, freeing all enslaved African Americans. But before that, some states had already taken steps toward emancipation. The table shows how, between 1790 and 1860, the percentage of free blacks within the total black population varied by region and state. Data is missing for certain areas and years, including South Dakota in 1860, which reported no blacks—free or enslaved—living there.
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Will Counts was an American photojournalist who made a name for himself documenting the desegregation crisis at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas during 1957. He captured the harassment and violence that African Americans faced in the South during the 1950s, bringing national attention to the struggle for integration. His powerful images of the time earned him a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize. Counts was born Ira Wilmer Counts Jr. on August 24, 1931, and died October 6, 2001.
Early life
Will Counts was born in Little Rock on August 24, 1931. His family lived through the Depression as sharecroppers in White County, near Rose Bud, and later in Lonoke County, close to Cabot. In 1936, they moved to the Plum Bayou Homesteads, a New Deal project, located in Jefferson County. Afterward, the family went back to Little Rock, where Counts attended what is now Central High School. There, his journalism teacher, Edna Middlebrook, encouraged his interest in photography. During his junior year, he asked his mother for a Speed Graphic camera for Christmas after seeing one in Boys' Life magazine. Because his father was fighting in World War II, she could only buy him a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.
Education
By the time Counts began attending Arkansas State Teachers College, which is now the University of Central Arkansas, in 1949, he had already decided he wanted to work as a news journalist. He became a photographer for the college and also freelanced for the Arkansas Gazette and the Arkansas Democrat. In 1952, he earned a BA in education. Two years later, in 1954, he received his master’s degree in education and audio-visual communications from Indiana University. Fifteen years after that, in 1969, Counts earned his doctorate in education at the same university.
Career
While earning his master's degree in Bloomington, Indiana, Counts worked at IU's audiovisual center. In 1957, he returned to Little Rock and joined the Democrat as a photographer and editor. That September, at age twenty-six, he captured the integration of Central High School, showing white demonstrators and the National Guard. His most famous image showed Elizabeth Eckford being harassed by a mob; she stayed composed, and Counts later said he wore inconspicuous red clothes and used a wide-angle lens to blend in. Another photo showed black journalist Alex Wilson being kicked in the face, which helped prompt President Eisenhower to send troops to enforce desegregation. Counts taught photojournalism at Indiana University for thirty-two years, earned his doctorate, and became the *Encyclopædia Britannica*'s expert on the field. In 1999, he published *A Life is More Than a Moment*, inspired by Hazel Bryan Massery, who apologized to Eckford years later. Counts died of cancer in Bloomington in 2001.
Accomplishments
Clarence Counts was widely recognized for his powerful photography during the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. His image of Alex Wilson was chosen by Encyclopædia Britannica as one of the world's fifty most memorable news photos in the last fifty years and earned first place in the spot news category at the fifteenth annual "News Picture of the Year Competition." The Associated Press and the Arkansas Democrat submitted his work for the Pulitzer Prize in news photography, and the jury nominated him unanimously, though he did not win that year. Counts also received first place from the National Press Photographer's Association. He went on to work for the Associated Press, where he helped develop some of the most acclaimed photojournalism departments in the country and was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1996.
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Overview
A teller is someone who counts votes during an election, a referendum, or a poll. These individuals are also called scrutineers, poll-watchers, challengers, or checkers. It's important to know that tellers are not the same as polling agents or counting agents, who officially represent candidates. Tellers simply observe and count the votes, making sure the process runs smoothly and fairly. Their role is essential in maintaining transparency and accuracy in elections.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, tellers work for political parties, usually as volunteers, standing outside polling stations to collect electoral registration numbers from voters as they enter or leave. They do not officially take part in elections and are not required to speak with voters. These tellers help their parties identify non-voters so they can be contacted and supported—sometimes even offered transport—aiming to boost turnout, which is seen as good for democracy. Police may step in if tellers irritate voters or interfere with the process. Sometimes parties agree to share shifts and pass lists among themselves, but it's common to see multiple tellers at one station. After the May 2005 Northern Ireland elections, the Electoral Commission found that some candidates' polling agents had unlawfully helped identify non-voters by sharing information from inside the polling place—information normally only given voluntarily by voters.
Other assemblies
In other groups where decisions are made, like voluntary organizations, votes are often taken by secret ballot. Someone has to count those ballots, and that job falls to tellers. Usually, the person in charge picks the tellers, but sometimes the group’s rules say someone else does it—like an elections committee. These tellers are chosen because they're careful and trustworthy. They can't be involved in the vote itself, and they’re allowed to vote for themselves.
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In the UK, comedian and writer Jon Harvey created a fictional candidate named Count Binface, an intergalactic space warrior with a dustbin-shaped helmet. Binface ran in several elections, including contests against Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and even faced Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in 2026. At that election, Binface came second with 27% of the vote, the highest share ever achieved by a novelty candidate in UK history. Promoting participation in elections, Binface used the slogan “Make Your Vote Count.” Originally standing as an independent, he later joined the Count Binface Party in 2023.
Creation
Jon Harvey, who before had stood against Theresa May as Lord Buckethead, created Count Binface after Todd Durham, owner of the Buckethead character from his 1984 film Hyperspace, reclaimed control of the role. Harvey then brought Binface to the 2019 general election, positioning him to oppose Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. The character’s new performer, David Hughes, declared Binface “the true heir to the Buckethead throne.” Harvey, who seldom speaks outside the role, has said, “My job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.”
Character
Count Binface is an intergalactic space warrior from Sigma IX, clad in black-and-grey uniform with dustbin helmet and glowing eyes. He claims to be over 5,900 years old and leads the Recyclons with General Waste as second-in-command. In 2026, he appeared on BBC Newsnight where presenter Paddy O'Connell asked him to remove his mask. Harvey said "nobody wants to know" what's underneath, calling it "absolutely putrefying." That same year, Binface also appeared in the TV series Industry as a candidate in the Clacton by-election against Nigel Farage. He says he masters 7 million forms of communication and recounted how, during the 2019 London Mayoral election, he spoke with Boris Johnson in Latin, quoting Julius Caesar—"the die is cast"—which Boris misinterpreted as a sign of long political power. Binface also set off in Homeric Greek on The Rest is Politics podcast.
Other ventures
Binface has taken his show beyond the campaign trail, participating in an Oxford Union debate in 2024 where he argued against the motion "This House Would Fake it Til You Make It." He was later interviewed by comedian Richard Herring in July 2026 for his podcast ahead of the Clacton by-election. That same month, he also appeared at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, speaking with zoologist Jules Howard about apes and procreation. His comedy career has taken off too—his first national tour kicked off in the autumn of 2024, and a July 2026 show titled A (Moral) Victory Rally sold out at London's Museum of Comedy. He followed that with a one-off performance called Face of the Establishment at the Pleasance Dome during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. A 72-page comic book about him, published by SelfMadeHero, included nearly forty artists and writers such as Bryan Talbot, Dave McKean, and Steven Appleby, and pre-sale orders were so high the publisher considered a second print run.
2019 general election
In the 2019 general election, Count Binface ran as the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He declared a set of "fully costed" policies, including abolishing the House of Lords—something he'd pledged in 2017 as Lord Buckethead—and bringing back Ceefax, a teletext service he'd also promised to revive that year. His platform included nationalising Adele and model railways, calling for no more UK arms sales to repressive regimes, and pledging to make Piers Morgan zero emissions by 2030. He wanted a referendum on rerunning the 2016 Brexit vote, saying any Czechs found on the Irish border could stay. Echoing the Conservatives' pledge of 20,000 more police officers, he promised to add just one more officer. Binface proposed that only people aged 16 to 80 be allowed to vote, promised free broadband for all, and said London Bridge would be renamed "Phoebe Waller-Bridge." He pledged £1 trillion a week to the NHS, welcomed rival Lord Buckethead to debate, and received 69 votes—0.1% of the total.
2024 London mayoral election
In March 2024, Binface began another fundraise to run in the London mayoral election on 2 May, donating the extra money beyond the £10,000 deposit to Shelter. After announcing his entry and releasing his manifesto, he showed up unexpectedly at Glastonbury 2024. His platform reused ideas from earlier campaigns but added new pledges, such as abolishing VAR, making Thames Water bosses "take a dip in the Thames," building at least one affordable home, and granting listed status to Claudia Winkleman's fringe. Though the race used a first-past-the-post system, Binface placed 11th with 24,260 votes—ahead of Britain First. He said this outcome was his most proud. Incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan, who won re-election, noted that becoming the first person in British political history to beat Count Binface twice was a sign of London's spirit, and added that Binface finishing ahead of the Britain First candidate was "another reason to love London."
2024 general election
On 7 June 2024, Count Binface announced he would be running against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the Richmond and Northallerton constituency, calling it "taking on the biggest fish of the lot." He referenced Sunak's absence from the Normandy landings anniversary with the line, "You shirked D-Day Rishi, you can't miss the B-Day." His election manifesto included building a "space bridge" to fix traffic issues from level crossings, lowering the price of 99 Flake ice creams to 99 pence, introducing National Service for former prime ministers, and inviting European nations to join the UK. Binface worked with YouTuber and mathematician Matt Parker, who helped design his election pamphlet and served as an election observer. The Daily Star endorsed both Binface and the Labour candidate. He received 308 votes, placing sixth among thirteen candidates, or 0.6% of the total vote. On Twitter, Binface said it was his best result ever and declared, "Bindependence Day has come."
2026 Makerfield by-election
In 2026, Count Binface ran in the Makerfield by-election, promising affordable housing, capping 99 Flake at 99p, and setting a maximum £2 price for "Wigan kebabs." He proposed cutting some taxes while raising others, banning automatic online subscriptions, and nationalising Adele. His platform included requiring elected mayors to complete terms before running for parliament, a jab at Andy Burnham, who won the seat while still mayor. Daniel Hannan criticized his price controls, arguing they'd cause shortages and that his tax plan reflected Britain's problems. Others saw Binface as satire on political failure. He received 95 votes, finishing seventh out of fourteen candidates. After the vote, Keir Starmer congratulated Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives for their 2.2% share, just edging past Binface. Burnham posted a photo with him, captioning it: "Always worth knowing when bin day is," and later wrote: "Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation. Don't let us down."
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