Accuracy the watchword for team behind Bexhill's ballot box

Since Parliament was dissolved on April 12, and May 6 chosen as election day, there has been feverish activity behind the scenes to prepare for the ballot.

The Bexhill and Battle constituency is no exception, and overseeing the operation is Rother District Council chief executive Derek Stevens, helped by Susanne Malmgren, election manager.

Derek, Rother boss since 2001, is an old hand at the business and this will be his third general election as acting returning officer. But he has seen many European and local authority ballots, too.

For Suzanne, nicknamed 'Marge', it is more a baptism of fire, but she admits to thoroughly enjoying the challenge, even though it can involve long hours and plenty of graft to fulfil her role.

Derek said: "Basically, we have three key tasks - to ensure people entitled to vote are on the electoral roll, that they know when and where to vote, and then to count those votes accurately and efficiently."

Suzanne is supported by Carina Shoesmith in the election office, with additional help from Holly Stockton and Lynda Crawford once the pace begins to quicken.

Suzanne said: "We try to keep the electoral roll up-to-date, adding new homes onto our data base and sending out forms for householders to register throughout the year.

"Once the Queen issues her writ for an election there is a minimum period of 17 working days before the ballot is held, and then we really have our work cut out.

"Candidates have four days to register their nominations, and applications for postal votes have to be in on the same day nominations close, which in this case was April 20."

A clue to interest in today's poll was seen recently, when Rother Council's help point handled 400 telephone calls with 200 personal enquiries by people keen to ensure they were okay to vote.

Suzanne said: "Karina and I were in the office until 3am on April 20 dealing with queries, and then back at our desks for another full day's work just a few hours later."

Changes in constituency boundaries means that Bexhill and Battle now embraces Five Ashes and Heathfield -- Wealden communities that for the purposes of a General Election fall to the Rother team to administer.

The electorate of 79,208 includes more than 11,000 postal voters, whose ballot forms cannot be issued before the list of candidates closes, tightening the deadlines facing Derek, Suzanne and the team.

Then there are the ballot boxes -- 70 to be manhandled out of storage, scrubbed down and new labels affixed, each married up with a presiding officer's pack and distributed to polling stations.

There are forms to be completed if postal voters instead turn up in person, disabled people need help to cast their vote, absent voter registers, street indexes and a plethora of kit to cover eventuality.

"We even issue matches and candles in case there is a power failure", said Suzanne. "And while most ballot boxes go to village halls and schools, there can be some unusual polling stations, too.

"In Sedlescombe, it's the local golf club, and at Telham, near Battle, a garage. When the constituency included East Guldeford, voting there took place in the front room of a lady's house."

Another quirk this time is having a tiny piece of Polegate included in the constituency -- "There are just three voters there," said Suzanne.

Once the election ends at 10pm tonight, each ballot box will be sealed and driven to the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, where an army of 80 council staff and volunteers will count the votes cast for each candidate.

There are five vying to become the constituency's next MP -- Greg Barker (Conservative) James Royston (Labour) Mary Varrall (Liberal Democrat) Stuart Wheeler (Trust Party) and Neil Jackson (British National Party).

Derek Stevens said: "My role then is to walk around encouraging the team, answering agents' questions and generally trying to be a model of calmness in the thick of it all.

"If all goes well we hope to declare the result by around 2am or 3am the following day, but we won't be racing to be the first constituency to declare. Absolute accuracy, not speed, will be the watchword here."

And though it will all be over by Friday next week, Derek will be holding 'wash ups' with various sections to see what went well, what didn't and how the process can be improved on next time round.

"With all that's involved, I really do hope people in Bexhill and Battle will make the effort to use their vote. Not only is it good for democracy, but it's rewarding for us, too, to know it's all worthwhile."