As the first round is fast approaching, the organization of the poll is actively preparing. Behind the scenes of a municipal election in the city of Ingres.
If, for the voter, the elections are limited to going to the polls to slip in the ballot of their choice, behind the scenes the elections are well prepared in advance. With more than 40,000 registered (the official figure stopped this Wednesday) on the electoral lists for a little more than 60,000 inhabitants, everything must be ready for the 200 or so people who will open the 48 polling stations on Sunday at 8 a.m. spread over the city.
230 employees and 300 volunteers
The ballot boxes are already out. They are stored in two well-kept rooms on the ground floor of the town hall, with, to accompany each of them, a box which includes the ballots, the ballot envelopes, pens, the electoral code, the scrutineers’ files … “The ballot boxes and the boxes will leave the town hall on Saturday and will be stored the night before the poll in a secret place in the city. They will not be dispatched to the various polling stations until early Sunday morning “, specifies Sophie Chaumont, responsible for civil status, cemeteries and the service in charge of the mayor’s elections.
For several weeks, the 5 service agents have been permanently mobilized to prepare for the ballot. You have to check the electoral lists, start to build the signature lists, print the files that will be distributed in each polling station … Forty “little hands” from other services have strengthened the team, just during the week -end last, to put in envelopes the bulletins and professions of faith sent this week in the mailboxes of the voters.
For polling day, 230 city hall employees will be mobilized to ensure, from morning to evening, the smooth running of this first round. Nearly 300 volunteers, made up of elected officials, political activists and ordinary citizens, will ensure the functioning of the vote and will also participate in the counting. And everything will start again the following week for the second round.
Until the last minute, the town hall will also manage the powers of attorney. It counted, even yesterday evening, much less than the 1,200 registered for the first ballot of 2014.
Coronavirus related measures
Covid-19 obliges, measures are envisaged Sunday in the polling stations to reassure the voters who fear to catch the Coronavirus while going to the polls. Bottles of hydroalcoholic gel will be made available at the polling stations. Posters to also remind people of preventive measures. The town hall also announced that the offices would be disinfected immediately after the vote, Sunday evening, to avoid any risk of spread, especially in schools in Montauban.
This may be enough to reassure voters. In the previous election in 2014, abstention amounted to 32.51% in the first round. To limit the risk of a higher score with the Covid-19, the proxies procedure has been relaxed. Traditionally, in Montauban, the court and the police have received many requests in the last days, which could be the case again this year. The prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne decided that the directors of retirement homes were also empowered to collect a power of attorney.
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