Saturday 3rd September 2011
So the big day has finally arrived I drove to the Ridgeway Community Centre in Furzton to get there for 9:20am to help set up the room, I put out the chairs with other volunteers and then was asked to leave donation forms with envelopes on each one, I was introduced to the new trainee organiser and we swopped business cards.
A very bubbly young lady (who turned out to be the caretaker) needed to know something so I pointed out to her Dan who everytime she tried to talk to him someone had got to him first.
Kevin showed me the process of accreditating members, so we both did a double act him taking their acreditation letter off them, (or giving them another one if they had lost it or forgot to bring it with them which they then had to fill in and slowed everyone down in the process) asking for Id or their membership card (it did my ego a lot of good seeing my name on new members cards as they produced them), and telling me their name, and number of the slip given to them which they would have to exchange for a ballot paper later on in the proceedings, I then had to go through the printed off membership list and put the slip number next to their name (this was so it could be verified that the number of slips matched the amount of members who were given ballot papers and had voted.)
Party members started to arrive and at one point the queue was out the door I was trying to stay calm and keep up but it was a job going back and forth through the pages as the list was in alphabetical order.
I also had to refer to a separate print out list of members who paid their arrears in time to vote which amounted to two or three but caught me out when at first I could not see their names on my main membership list.
There was a problem with one activist whose name was not on any of the lists so I got Dan and Kevin to look through in case I had missed him, but still his name was not on the lists, we also asked him if he uses other names, but no he did not, so sadly he could only observein the end.
Dan asked me if I had seen all the candidates come in but I said I had only seen four of them arrive so far, Camilla came out to find out if we had checked all the members in as it was after the 10:30am start for the meeting, but we still had a few more more to do, she also told me not to worry about providing a stop watch as Dan would be sitting next to her and letting her know when candidates were nearing the end of their allotted time, and the same for questions.
The trainee organiser bless her asked me and Kevin if we wanted a top up on our cups of tea (I did not have one in the first place but I don't often drink tea anyway.)
Camilla started the proceedings off, I decided to stay out in the foyer just hoping I did not have to tell latecomers that they could only observe luckily that was not the case.
I could see from the holding room candidates either pacing up and down the room, or chatting in groups, and different ones constanly either going in the kitchen making a drink or going out to the toilets!
One of the candidates made me a cup of tea, and I chatted to a couple of them from the serving hatch.
There were three kids who had left the hall and were then chatting loudly in the foyer or in one of the cloakroom alcoves or the corridor I was unsure whether to nicely tell them to be quiet but they didn't seem to bother any one.
Lots had been drawn earlier and Kevin had the job of going to the holding room and bringing a candidate out wishing them good luck, and when the previous one had finished taking them back to the holding room.
One member during questions asked me if she could use the toilets, I said according to the rules if she left she could not vote, but I said I will ask if a comfort break could be provided, she was not happy, and she left (I was told that she had said to someone that she was not planning to stay throughout so I felt a bit better but also angry that she thought I was being differcult.)
Kevin did ask for a comfort break and then a coup started to develop when a few more members said they wanted one and apppluase broke out when some threatend to leave, so in the end they got their way!
Once all candidates had finished their speeches and answered questions the vote took place, myself and Kevin sat at the top table and we both took members voting slips and gave them their ballot paper it was a mad rush, the trouble was most of the queue was just going to Kevin so I shouted out that they could also come to me to get the queue moving quickly.
Myself and Dan counted the voting slips to see that we had 66 returned minus one (which thankfully we did), and it was about a total of 85 members that had voted including the postal ballots.
Dan asked me for the postal vote applications so that the signatures could be cross referenced with those that had been returned (I had forgotton to take them in with me when I first arrived so I run to the car to get them.)
Then Dan put the ballot boxes on the top table and the five tellers took their seats, first they had to open the postal ballots take out the forms and leave the sealed ballots to one side, all signatures checked, and then all envelopes were opened and the ballots mixed up with the rest of the votes.
Each teller was asked to count a particular candidates votes, luckily there was a clear winner so it did not have to go to another round of counting.
Whilst this was all happening all the candidates were gathered round including some curious members watching the count with interest I did for a bit but also got chatting to a candidate and other members as I was now really not needed.
I followed Dan, Ann, Kevin and the candidates from the hall to the holding room, for the announcement that Andrew Pakes was the clear winner with over 50% of the vote.
All there was to do now was to get all the candidates back in the room and Camilla thanked them all and announced the winner, followed by Andrew saying a few words.
Afterwards there was a bit of a debate whether the other candidates wanted to be included in the group photograph afterwards, which they did in the end, and on the way out members were asked if they to would like to be included in the photograph and if so could they take off Kevin a "Milton Keynes for Andrew Pakes" poster or a "Vote Labour" board.
(Kevin had printed off the same poster in advance for all candidates so he was ready for whoever had won for the purposes of the photograph.)
I took a "Vote Labour" board and stood next to Andrew but he said he needed a woman standing next to him as the front row just had lots of blokes in it so I was pushed to one side and a woman was duly put next to him.
The trainee organiser took the picture followed by each candidate for next years Council elections, with Andrew individually.
I was asked by her if she could have my "Vote Labour" board for a candidate which I did.
A few members afterwards thanked me for everything and said how organised it was and how well it went, which was such a relief to hear, Dan also personally thanked me which was a nice touch.
Everyone started to drift away and a few of us were left to put the tables and chairs back.
Myself Kevin, and a member who helped out as well, (after chatting to him it appears he is a new member so I gave him my card welcomed him to the party and thanked him for all his help, he said it was no problem as he couldn't leave anyway as his car was blocked in!) were the last to leave at about 1:30pm, the caretaker (someone else this time) asked how everything went.
After chatting to Kevin for a while I drove to the Furzton Local Centre bought myself a paper and a sandwich and left feeling on a high after being so nervous most of the morning.
Later in the day Veronica rang to say that the Taxi will be picking up at about 6:55pm, the table had been booked for 7:30pm.
The irony was not lost on us that we were going to a new Brasserie called Cameron's which had only been opened for just over five weeks at Odells Yard off Russell Street in Stony Stratford, the food was marvellous, the service very good, and the decor was tasteful the owners looked so young.
We had a good chat and left about 11:00am, but had a bit of a wait for the taxi.
All in all a nice end to a very tiring but satisfying day.
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| Andrew Pakes Parliamentary Candidate for Milton Keynes South with supporters |
