Election agents are responsible for sanctioning all expenditure on the candidate's campaign, for maintaining the accuracy of and submitting to the returning officer the candidate's expenses and other documents, as well as deciding whether to contest the result of a count.
Agents are also permitted to oversee the polling and counting of votes to ensure the accuracy and impartiality of the election, and may appoint polling and counting agents to assist them in those tasks.
The number of polling and counting agents that can be appointed is determined by the returning officer of the election and they must be appointed by a set date laid out in the timetable of the election.
The Electoral Commission provides periodic guidance for candidates and agents.
The larger parties typically pay their election agents, and the role is gradually becoming a professional one, like the similar but not identical role of campaign manager in the United States.